Marcus du Sautoy
07 Dec 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the mathematician Marcus du Sautoy. A professor of mathematics ...
Michael Eavis
30 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is Michael Eavis. It's more than 30 years s...
Janet Street-Porter
23 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Janet Street-Porter. Born, she says, with 'frilly teeth, big gl...
David Davis MP
16 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Conservative politician David Davis. Born just before Chris...
Allan Ahlberg
14 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is one of our best-loved children's authors...
Shami Chakrabarti
02 Nov 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti. A pithy and incisiv...
Ian Bostridge
26 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the tenor Ian Bostridge. He is regarded as one of the great Lie...
Randy Newman
19 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the American composer, singer and song-writer Randy Newman. Col...
Sanjeev Bhaskar
12 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Sanjeev Bhaskar. A writer, comic and actor, Sanjeev has brought...
David McVicar
05 Oct 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the opera director David McVicar. He is hailed as the opera dir...
Miriam Margolyes
28 Sep 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's guest on Desert Island Discs this week is the actress Miriam Margolyes. Her rich care...
Ruthie Henshall
17 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Ruthie Henshall. A West End and Broadway star she h...
AC Grayling
10 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the philosopher Professor A C Grayling. He was a child growing ...
Richard Ingrams
03 Aug 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's guest on Desert Island Discs this week is Richard Ingrams. Former editor and a founde...
Antonia Fraser
27 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is the writer Antonia Fraser. Born Antonia ...
John Stefanidis
20 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is one of the world's leading interior designers, John Stefanidis....
Felicity Lott
13 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the soprano, Dame Felicity Lott. She is one of Britain's best k...
Antonio Carluccio
06 Jul 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the cook Antonio Carluccio. He's been hailed as perhaps the bes...
Posy Simmonds
29 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week the cartoonist, writer and illustrator Posy Simmonds. Her social o...
Ara Darzi
22 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the pioneering surgeon Professor Ara Darzi. He was born in Iraq...
Peter Carey
20 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the author Peter Carey. He says he grew up in his homeland "thi...
Bill Bailey
08 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty's castaway this week is the comedian and actor, Bill Bailey. Lauded for his hugely inventive ...
Lord Woolf
01 Jun 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord Woolf. ...
Howard Goodall
25 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the composer Howard Goodall. He's a man of eclectic musical tas...
Diane Abbott
18 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the MP Diane Abbott. She was the first black woman to become a ...
Annie Lennox
11 May 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is one of our most successful singer-songwriters, Annie Lennox. He...
Penelope Wilton
30 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Penelope Wilton. Her first love is the theatre and ...
Stanley McMurtry
23 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the cartoonist Mac. He's been the Daily Mail's cartoonist for t...
Tariq Ali
16 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the radical thinker, writer and broadcaster Tariq Ali. Forty ye...
Liz Smith
09 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Liz Smith. Her story is a triumph of talent and per...
Michael Ball
02 Mar 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actor and singer Michael Ball. For more than 20 years he's ...
David Dimbleby
24 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster David Dimbleby. When he was born, in 1938, his ...
Martin Evans
17 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Professor Sir Martin Evans. H...
Oleg Gordievsky
10 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Oleg Gordievsky. He is the highest-ranking KGB officer ever to ...
Beryl Bainbridge
03 Feb 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the writer Dame Beryl Bainbridge. She grew up in Liverpool - in...
Rory Stewart
20 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the former diplomat, traveller and writer, Rory Stewart. His li...
Simon Rattle
13 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Sir Simon Rattle. For the past five years he has been Principal...
John Humphrys
06 Jan 2008
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster and journalist John Humphrys. For 21 years he h...
Karren Brady
30 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the businesswoman Karren Brady. She is known as the First Lady ...
Victoria Wood
23 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Victoria Wood. For decades she has been one of our best-loved w...
Paul Weller
16 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the musician Paul Weller. As the lead singer of The Jam, the fo...
Alec Jeffreys
09 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys - the scientist who discovered gene...
Steven Isserlis
02 Dec 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the cellist Steven Isserlis. It is, perhaps, little surprise th...
Armistead Maupin
25 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the author Armistead Maupin. Regarded as one of the 'great soci...
Eliza Manningham-Buller
18 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller. She has recently stepped down as ...
Jung Chang
16 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the author Jung Chang. Jung was born in the years after Mao cam...
Nicholas Parsons
04 Nov 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Nicholas Parsons. Actor, quizmaster, cabaret performer, straigh...
Lord Joffe
28 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Joel Joffe. For many years he was the chairman of Oxfam, before...
Ronnie Corbett
21 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is an entertainer so central to British popular culture he can be ...
Jill Balcon
14 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Jill Balcon. She has the voice of an old friend - a...
Alan Johnson
07 Oct 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson. He has the tas...
George Michael
30 Sep 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is George Michael. As a singer and songwriter he has enjoyed massi...
Vladimir Jurowski
19 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the conductor Vladimir Jurowski. Described as the most active a...
Felix Dennis
12 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the publisher Felix Dennis. He blossomed among the flower power...
Andrew Davies
05 Aug 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the writer Andrew Davies. He is the king of television adaptati...
Nicola Horlick
29 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the investment banker Nicola Horlick. She has, perhaps, done mo...
Thomas Keneally
22 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the writer Thomas Keneally. He had already been nominated for t...
Oliver Postgate
15 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the animator Oliver Postgate. As the creator of Noggin the Nog,...
Simon Russell Beale
08 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actor Simon Russell Beale. Critics are torn over their desc...
Wangari Maathai
01 Jul 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maatha...
Ricky Gervais
24 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Ricky Gervais. In just twelve episodes, his show The Office cha...
Christy Moore
17 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Irish musician Christy Moore. His stature and influence in ...
Yoko Ono
10 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Yoko Ono. She was already an avant-garde artist in her own righ...
Tom Blundell
03 Jun 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the leading scientist Professor Sir Tom Blundell. His specialis...
Paul McKenna
27 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Paul McKenna. He is Britain's best known hypnotist and made his...
Greg Dyke
20 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Greg Dyke. A top flight TV executive known for being instinctua...
Joanna Lumley
13 May 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Joanna Lumley. She first found fame as the high-kic...
Ben Helfgott
01 Apr 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is the Holocaust survivor Ben Helfgott. His...
Professor Raymond Tallis
25 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the physician, philosopher, novelist and poet Professor Raymond...
Jo Brand
18 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the stand-up comedian Jo Brand. From the word go she always ant...
Andy Kershaw
11 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster and journalist Andy Kershaw. His career to date...
JP Donleavy
04 Mar 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the writer J P Donleavy. The author of a dozen novels as well a...
Andrew Neil
25 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the journalist Andrew Neil. For 11 years he was editor of The S...
Grayson Perry
18 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the artist Grayson Perry. For more than 20 years his work was b...
Paul Abbott
11 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the screen writer Paul Abbott. He has written some of the most ...
Neil Tennant
04 Feb 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the singer and songwriter Neil Tennant. He is best known as one...
Brian Aldiss
28 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the author Brian Aldiss. He is best known for pioneering, along...
Ann Daniels
21 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Polar explorer Ann Daniels. Before she was 30, she hadn't s...
Edna O'Brien
14 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the writer Edna O'Brien. Described as a 'poet of heartbreak' he...
Lady Natasha Spender
07 Jan 2007
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the musician Lady Natasha Spender. She was born at the end of t...
Anthony Horowitz
31 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's first castaway of 2007 is the writer Anthony Horowitz. He's a prolific author. His fi...
Gloria Hunniford
24 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster Gloria Hunniford. She's one of our most popular...
Arnold Wesker
17 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the playwright Sir Arnold Wesker. He's a prolific writer and ha...
Karl Jenkins
10 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Britain's most successful contemporary composer, Karl Jenkins. ...
Raymond Gubbay
03 Dec 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the music impresario Raymond Gubbay. For 40 years he has brough...
Matt Lucas
26 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is the comedy performer and writer Matt Luc...
Stephen King
19 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the author Stephen King. He's written more than 40 novels, won ...
Lord Stevens
17 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the former head of the Metropolitan Police, Lord Stevens. Altho...
Humphrey Lyttelton
05 Nov 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the veteran jazz musician and radio presenter Humphrey Lyttelto...
Heston Blumenthal
29 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the chef Heston Blumenthal. He is one of only three chefs worki...
Camila Batmanghelidjh
22 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the children's campaigner Camila Batmanghelidjh. Camila Batmang...
Robert Fisk
15 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the journalist Robert Fisk. He is one of our most distinguished...
Jane Horrocks
08 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Jane Horrocks. She specialises in unconventional, c...
Quentin Blake
01 Oct 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsty Young's first castaway is one of our most popular illustrators, Quentin Blake. His work is im...
Dame Joan Plowright
27 Aug 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actress Joan Plowright.Dame Joan Plowright is an actress who ...
A A Gill
20 Aug 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the critic and columnist A A Gill. His witty, first-person articl...
Simon Cowell
13 Aug 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the television star Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell is one of our most...
Michael Rosen
06 Aug 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the author and children's poet Michael Rosen. Since his first boo...
David Edgar
30 Jul 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is a playwright whose work has chronicled Britain's changing politic...
Dr Hanna Segal
23 Jul 2006
Contributed by Lukas
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the psychoanalyst Dr Hanna Segal. Hanna Segal is one of the most ...