Saturday Live Podcast - Winamp (2024)

The broadcaster, marathon runner, and proud parent to her life saving stoma Audrey, Adele Roberts reveals how she overcame cancer wrote a book and danced on ice.Writer and comedian Ben Elton whose new stand-up tour highlights his trademark incisive social commentary by exploring authentic stupidity. David Duke went from sleeping rough and living in hostels to playing football in the Homeless World Cup and founding the Street Soccer Scotland charity helping thousands of other homeless people through the power of football. All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of chef, restaurateur and podcaster Angela Hartnett.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

4/13/2024 • 1 hour, 6 seconds

The irrepressible Tom Shakespeare shares how the boy nicknamed 'The Blob' at school went on to become a bioethicist, disability rights advocate, and now a debut novelist. Kate Silverton has swapped the newsroom for the therapists couch having retrained as a child counsellor. She has also become a bestselling author and her latest book maintains that there's still no such thing as being naughty.Did you struggle at maths with school? Having been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia as a child Rebecca Ginger did too. She has recently given up a successful career in the tv industry to create her own method of making learning maths fun after seeing her daughter struggle with the subject herself.All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian, presenter and latest Taskmaster contestant, John Robins.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

4/6/2024 • 1 hour, 53 seconds

One of Yorkshire’s finest, the actor famous for Fat Friends, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, Gaynor Faye. She’s making her directorial debut with the stage adaptation of The Syndicate, written by her mother; the late, great Kay Mellor. Tommy Blaize is the voice of Strictly. He’s been singing on the show since the very first episode. But today he reveals the family DNA secret that unlocked the story behind his musical talents. What do you get when you walk the UK’s 19,000-mile coastline, apart from blisters? For former paratrooper Christian Lewis, it was a dog, a partner, a baby and a renewed sense of purpose.All that, plus we have the joyous Inheritance Tracks of natural history presenter Liz Bonin.And if you’ve been affected by anything we’ve spoken about today details of organisations offering information and support with addiction are available on the BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionlinePresenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

3/30/2024 • 59 minutes, 26 seconds

Rear Admiral Jude Terry, the first woman to hold flag rank in The Royal Navy, keeps us ship shape and shares how a rebellious teenager became the highest ranking female member of the Navy. Ready to send us to the sin bin Sara Cox, not that one, reveals how she "walked through stinging nettles" to become the world's first professional female rugby union referee and inspire a whole generation of officials.And the professionally ‘shattered’ comedian and writer Ashley Blaker, father of six children tells us why some of them are Coldplays and others, Zappas. Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of musician, broadcaster and voice of Desert Island Discs Lauren Laverne. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

3/23/2024 • 1 hour, 46 seconds

Entertainer, actor, comedian, author and very clever man, Julian Clary joins us, he makes disdain and innuendo hilarious and he’s back onstage playing Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar.When Christopher Samuel picked up a biro and drew a picture of himself, it changed his life. He’ll tell us how he’s now using art to challenge the perceptions of disability.And having both served time, the award-winning hosts of the ‘Life After Prison’ podcast Zak Addae-Kodua and Jules Rowan tell us how they aim to reduce post-prison stigma and help people figure out ‘what’s next’.Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of Eastenders’ actor and ‘Off the Telly’ podcast host Natalie Cassidy.Presenters: Nikki Bedi & Jon KayProducer: Lowri Morgan

3/23/2024 • 58 minutes, 58 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

3/23/2024 • 58 minutes, 17 seconds

Entertainer, actor, comedian, author and very clever man, Julian Clary joins us, he makes disdain and innuendo hilarious and he’s back onstage playing Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar.When Christopher Samuel picked up a biro and drew a picture of himself, it changed his life. He’ll tell us how he’s now using art to challenge the perceptions of disability. And having both served time, the award-winning hosts of the ‘Life After Prison’ podcast Zak Addae-Kodua and Jules Rowan tell us how they aim to reduce post-prison stigma and help people figure out ‘what’s next’. Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of Eastenders’ actor and ‘Off the Telly’ podcast host Natalie Cassidy. Presenters: Nikki Bedi & Jon KayProducer: Lowri Morgan

3/16/2024 • 58 minutes, 58 seconds

Adam Richman, presenter of 'Man V Food' tell us about his new challenge, eating his way through Great Britain and where his love of food began. Former nurse Christie Waston on her new life as a best-selling author.And Derek Gow, conservationist and farmer on how he is trying to reintroudce wolves to the UK. Plus, professional Strictly dancer, Karen Hauer will have us all up on our feet, with this week's Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi & Jon KayProducer: Lowri Morgan

3/9/2024 • 58 minutes, 17 seconds

Jennie Gow, the journalist and BBC motor racing presenter who is navigating her post-stroke life and plans to be back on air for the Formula 1 this season. Sarah Marsh, the deaf author who has written a debut novel about a deaf woman finding her identity in a hearing world. And sailor Ken Fowler who circumnavigated every island in England and Wales, solo, in a 4m dinghy called Yoda.And don't miss the Inheritance Tracks of the comedian Alex Horne who is on Channel 4’s hit comedy game-show and this week, we’ve given him the task of assisting us with choosing his musical choices. Presenters: Jon Kay and Nikki BediProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

3/2/2024 • 59 minutes, 58 seconds

Chris Anderson, an entrepreneur with a unique background as the son of missionaries and now the head of the TED organization, advocates for the power of Infectious Generosity as the ultimate idea worth spreading.Jane Cholmeley, once a feminist bookseller and now an author, shares her journey of running Europe's largest women's bookstore amidst challenges of hom*ophobia and misogyny.Daisy Goodwin, a prolific television producer, screenwriter, and bestselling novelist, known for bringing iconic shows like Grand Designs and Victoria to the world, delves into her latest book exploring the life of the legendary Diva, Maria Callas.And don't miss the Inheritance Tracks of 'Da Gerry' from Derry Girls, as we hear from the witty comedian and talk show host Tommy Tiernan.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Glyn Tansley

2/24/2024 • 58 minutes, 8 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

2/17/2024 • 58 minutes, 38 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

2/10/2024 • 58 minutes, 5 seconds

Bringing his trademark droll humour and a bit of poetry to proceedings…the actor and comedian Tim Key discusses his new collection and reveals the story behind one of the most remarkable acts kindness he received from a stranger.He loves dogs, he loves sport and he’s one of the best in the world at commentating on both…we welcome the voice of a thousand sports Andrew Cotter. Bringing us emotional repair through wool…Samantha Moore, the BAFTA nominated director of Visible Mending talks about the healing power of knitting and the joy of spinning a yarn. Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of Test Match Special’s Jonathan Agnew.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Greg JamesProducer: Ben Mitchell

2/3/2024 • 58 minutes, 41 seconds

Tom Odell, the Ivor Novello Award winning musician discusses his new album 'Black Friday' and reveals why freshly baked cakes helped with his piano lessons.Zoë Colville, aka The Chief Shepherdess, went from the madness of hairdressing in a trendy Soho salon in London, to the ‘relative’ tranquillity of tending sheep on a farm in Kent.Boxer Nathan Heaney describes his journey from fighting with grief to being the underdog and now British Middleweight Champion.Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Greg JamesProducer: Lowri Morgan

1/27/2024 • 59 minutes, 52 seconds

Extending our knowledge of Imperial frontiers - journalist, author and Empire educator Sathnam Sanghera’s reveals why tea is the best medium to discuss the British Empire. Crossing the final frontier with Libby Jackson - she boldly explores where none of us are likely to as The Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency. And the record-breaking Darren Edwards keeps crossing endurance frontiers after announcing his next challenge is to become the first disabled adventurer to complete the longest sit-ski expedition across the Antarctic. All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of ceramic designer and Great Pottery Throw Down judge, Keith Brymer Jones. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Greg JamesProducer: Ben Mitchell

1/20/2024 • 1 hour, 1 second

Bestselling writer, self-experimenter and host of Just One Thing, Michael Mosley is a man so keen on giving the nation ‘just one thing’ to do to improve our lives, that we’re soon going to run out of hours in the day to incorporate them all.If the very thought of handmade chocolates makes you salivate, prepare to drool, because the master chocolatier behind the new Wonka film, Gabriella Cugno reveals how useful a chocolate teacup actually is.And Julie Felix, Britain’s first professional Black ballerina who has been named in the New Year's Honours list, describes how after being told in 1970’s Britain that she had the wrong skin colour for ballet she pirouetted across the Atlantic to America where her career took off.Plus, the Inheritance Tracks from a man of many jobs; weatherman, turned drummerman, turned Radio 2 early riser...Owain Wyn Evans.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Greg JamesProducer: Ben Mitchell

1/13/2024 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 3 seconds

Ed Byrne, the stand-up comedian, describes how he turned to comedy as a way of coping with the loss of his younger brother in 2023.

1/8/2024 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

1/6/2024 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds

With 2024 just around the corner, we’re celebrating the lovely achievements of our guests from the year past and some of yours too... Artist Gareth Reid has painted King Charles, Graham Norton, and recently won Portrait Artist of the Decade with his interpretation of Dame Judi Dench. Rogue Jones, the married singer-songwriters Ynyr Ifan and Bethan Mai, won the coveted Welsh Music Prize 2023 for their charming second album Dos Bebés Plus the Inheritance Tracks of this year’s Masterchef Celebrity Champion, opera star and broadcaster Wynne Evans.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben MitchellCORRECTION: This programme has been edited since broadcast to include Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339: Laudate Dominum for Wynne Evans’ Inheritance Tracks

12/30/2023 • 58 minutes, 14 seconds

The creative polymath Mark Gatiss; actor, writer, director, producer, funny man and excellent purveyor of Christmas ghost stories - shares his love for the macabre.By car, train, bus and...canoe - .The Hebridean Baker, Coinneach MacLeod, reveals the festive traditions of the Isle of Lewis.And illustrator Lucy Claire who came to fame by honouring the likes of The Queen and Matthew Perry with art drawn from behind - shares her joy for craft and creativity at this time of year.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of broadcaster and Quizmaster extraordinaire; Sandi Toksvig.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

12/23/2023 • 58 minutes, 40 seconds

Steven Moffat, the BAFTA and Emmy award winning TV writer and producer, famous for Doctor Who and Sherlock has made his debut as a playwright with The Unfriend returning to London’s West End.Kelda Wood is the former GB Para-Canoeist, first adaptive-rower to row the Atlantic unsupported, and a charity founder, whose world turned upside down by not one...by two lifechanging incidents.And the animator and illustrator Robin Shaw, the International Emmy Award winning director of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and brought The Snowman to life, now turns his attention to Mog for our festive television enjoyment.Plus, we have the Inheritance Tracks of the actor and former Strictly Champion Kelvin Fletcher. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

12/16/2023 • 1 hour, 18 seconds

From an animal loving Billericay boy to international supermodel turned designer - David Gandy has been the face of some of the worlds biggest brands. The Scottish actor Sam Heughan is internationally famous for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in Outlander but is also an award-winning businessman and bestselling author.And the Queen of Harps, Catrin Finch, not only a classical harp virtuoso, she’s also a collaborator who exemplifies musical freedom and knows a thing or two about music’s healing powers. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of historian and broadcaster Lucy Worsley. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StevensProducer: Ben Mitchell

12/9/2023 • 58 minutes, 46 seconds

Author Katherine Rundell, winner of Waterstones’ Book of the Year 2023 for her fantastical and mythical ‘Impossible Creatures’, had a childhood filled with travel; from Kent, to Zimbabwe and Belgium - to an adult life filled with playfulness.Steve Greenwood, one of the directors of Planet Earth III, has spent his life tracking-down impossible creatures and even discovered a new species of rat. Trekking through jungles, racing through deserts, being chase by Rhinos, the natural history producer explains how he tells animal stories with pictures.And children’s author and traditional oral storyteller Atinuke reveals how she shares her heritage and stories from the Africa...especially her homeland, Nigeria. Plus...the Inheritance Tracks of yarn-spinning, punchline-dropping, hip-hop-loving comedian Romesh Ranganathan.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

12/2/2023 • 57 minutes, 41 seconds

Dan Snow, history conduit, broadcaster, podcaster and bestselling author grew up with two posters on his bedroom wall...one was of Kylie Minogue - the other was of the Duke of Wellington defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. Corporal Rob Bugden is a former RAF parachute instructor whose career ended in an aerial collision which left him with life changing injuries. He now teaches the importance of resilience.Psychiatrist, psychotherapist and gardener Marchelle Farrell has moved from the beaches and emerald hills of Trinidad to a country garden in Somerset - and her award-winning memoir, Uprooting, connects our external landscapes to the way we feel about ourselves Plus, he moo-ves like Jagger - we have the Inheritance Tracks of farmer and broadcaster Adam Henson.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

11/25/2023 • 58 minutes, 51 seconds

Italian chef, restaurateur, writer and buongustaio Aldo Zilli, learned to cook at his mother’s knee and started dreaming of his own Italian restaurants in 1970’s Soho, under the watchful eyes of the mafia, and at a time when you could only buy olive oil in a chemist. Levy Rozman – the international chess master with millions of subscribers - who’s moving the game into the digital age after retiring from the game for the sake of his mental health.Historian Phillipa Langley, not content with finding Richard III under a car park, she’s now looking to try and re-write British history once again hunting for the truth about the Princes in the Tower. Plus the beautiful and powerful Inheritance Tracks of actor and comedian Miles Jupp. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

11/18/2023 • 1 hour, 33 seconds

Professor Hannah Fry, whose job involves demystifying data and exploring how science and tech will shape our futures, personally though, she’s realised that ‘Life isn’t a problem to be solved, it’s an experience to be had’. From body-building online star to social media sceptic. Oenone Forbat tell us how her life as a digital celebrity isn’t quite as glamorous as the filters might have us believe And the legendary hair stylist Sam McKnight, reveals how a boy form a small Scottish mining town went on to style, shear and zhush the tresses of supermodels, pop goddesses and princesses. Plus...the Inheritance Tracks of magician and illusionist Derren Brown.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

11/11/2023 • 1 hour, 6 seconds

Ross Kemp who, after leaving EastEnders, found his métier making BAFTA award winning documentaries and writing bestselling books…and he’s just written a memoir... From Grant Mitchell to Cary Grant - Hollywood’s ultimate leading man - his daughter and producer of new ITV series Archie, Jennifer Grant, joins us.Hari Budha Magar is a Gurkha veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan and earlier this year made mountaineering history as the first double above the knee amputee to summit Everest.Plus...ground control to Major Tim - we’ll be beaming in the Inheritance Tracks of Tim Peake.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

11/4/2023 • 59 minutes, 52 seconds

If you’re feeling adventurous this weekend, we have just the guest to inspire you. The world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins us – but who inspires him? Multi-award-winning author of The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory is here to cast a light on the unsung women of history. The Man....The Voice....The Ostrich-farmer. Opera-singer Russell Watson has ditched his bow-tie to tell us why he’s now just as happy in his overalls. Plus...we have the Inheritance Tracks of rock and roll reverend...Kate Bottley. Presenters: Jon Kay and Dawn O'PorterProducer: Ben Mitchell

10/28/2023 • 58 minutes, 47 seconds

Rory Bremner stand-up chameleon, actor and impressionist, who’s currently on tour as Chris Tarrant in the play Quiz, about the Millionaire cougher-case. He also reveals the shared passion for comedy he and his dad had, especially with the late Mike Yarwood, and how he is embracing his newly diagnosed ADHD. The Gardeners World presenter Sue Kent, whose career has taken her from sports masseuse at the 2012 Olympics to award-winning garden designer, has lived with the physical consequences of the drug Thalidomide; taken by her mother whilst she was pregnant. Bake Off’s first Italian winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno reveals how his training as an engineer, using accuracy and precision, raises the bar with his baking. Plus...we have the Inheritance Tracks of the man who served tea for The Queen and Paddington Bear – star of Ghosts, Simon Farnaby.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Olly MannProducer: Ben Mitchell

10/21/2023 • 59 minutes, 17 seconds

She wanders, rambles, saunters and strolls…and has made a career out of walking in the great outdoors…broadcaster and writer Julia Bradbury’s new book Walk Yourself Happy discusses the power of nature in the light of her cancer battle.Fresh from the depths of the ocean this years Wildlife Photographer of the Year Laurent Ballesta, who dives to incredible places to bring us images never-before-seen, describes the lengths he went to to capture the winning image. Comedian and novelist Mark Watson shares the eight deaths he has experienced and life after them in his memoir Mortification; from his struggles with alcohol, marriage breakdown, and battles with mental health.Plus...Countryfile’s Helen Skelton shares her one album Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Olly MannProducer: Ben Mitchell

10/14/2023 • 57 minutes, 27 seconds

Dr Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, a broadcaster and science populariser and his latest book, aimed at young people, examines evolution, what race really is, and what makes us human.Broadcaster and author Kate Humble will be sharing the inspiration behind her new book which sees her on a quest to define what makes a house a home.And Peeps Nicol - who after being diagnosed with MS and then being widowed - wanted to find a new hobby. Peeps recently became a powerlifter and now at 71 years of age she’s deadlifting heavy weights. We’ll be hearing her story. All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of chef and author Tom Kerridge. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Olly MannProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

10/7/2023 • 59 minutes, 14 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

9/30/2023 • 1 hour, 39 seconds

Colin Jackson has spent his life hurdling one thing or another, be it breaking world records, or down barriers, the Olympian turned broadcaster continues to inspire the next generation of athletes. He’s written for The Kumars at No. 42, and Goodness Gracious Me, now Suk Pannu reveals how his 'Asian aunties' inspired his new book 'Mrs Sidhu: Dead and Scone' and why cosy culinary crime may be the next big thing.She's traversed the famous Lands’ End to John O' Groats route, climbed Kilimanjaro, and recently completed a 1,000 mile cycle around the coastline of Scotland - all in the memory of her three late children, who sadly all passed away in their 40s, from unrelated causes. But, what sets Mavis apart - is she’s 85 years old - and with two hip and knee replacements she has earned the nickname Bionic Grannie Mave. All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of comedian and actor and star of new BBC comedy 'Juice'; Mawaan Rizwan.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Olly MannProducer: Ben Mitchell

9/23/2023 • 59 minutes, 29 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

9/16/2023 • 59 minutes, 21 seconds

The sparkling South African Strictly star, Johannes Radebe, who was one half of the history-making same sex male couple, discusses a childhood of bullying, poverty and identity in his new memoir; 'Jojo: Finally Home'.Louise Boyce, best known by her social-media handle 'Mama Still Got It', has vlogged her journey from model, to mum, to influencer to prove the industry wrong who had once told her that having children would end her career.Plus, the multi-talented, multi-stented, outright king of live comedy Jason Byrne reveals how he turned his open heart surgery into comedy.And the former Pointless star and now bestselling crime-writer Richard Osman shares his Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

9/9/2023 • 59 minutes, 28 seconds

From the day he was found in a Harrods bag as a baby on the steps of Guy's Hospital in London, author Andy McNab has carpe'd the diem out of life. As a member of the SAS he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years on five continents. Now he’s one of the world’s best-selling authors. An astonishing achievement given he had the reading age of an eleven-year-old when he joined the army and read his first book by his seventeenth birthday.Ten years ago, Briony May Williams became so unwell with polycystic ovary syndrome that she needed to take time away from her job as a language teacher. A friend at the school suggested baking would be a distraction and within five years, she was a semi-finalist on the Great British Bake Off. Since then, she’s gone from contestant to presenter – fronting tv shows like “Food Unwrapped” and “Escape to the Country”.Denisa Gannon defied the odds to become the first Roma lawyer in England and Wales. Born in a small village in Czechia, she was the fifth of six siblings and the only one to go to a mainstream school. Even after passing the equivalent of A-levels, because of her ethnicity, she faced prejudice and discrimination and was exploited by people to such an extent that she decided to help herself, and others in similar situations, by studying law.All that plus The Inheritance Tracks of actor and musician Johnny Flynn - and we join the artists and adventurer James Hart Dyke ...In Nature.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

9/2/2023 • 58 minutes, 48 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

8/26/2023 • 1 hour, 26 seconds

Angela Barnes was brought up on comedy. She and her dad Derek would go to stand-up shows together and when they listened to comedians on the radio he would say “Why don’t you have a go at that?, Angela. Why don’t you give comedy a try?”. For a long time, she felt she couldn’t. But when Derek died suddenly at the age of 60 Angela remembered his words and today she appears on the very shows she used to listen to with her dad. The National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa, has that wonderful advantage of being able to see the world via a bi-cultural lens; she’s Welsh-Iraqi. Hanan’s also a filmmaker and scriptwriter and her monologue 'With Her Back Straight' was performed as part of The Hijabi Monologues at the Bush Theatre in London and she worked on the much loved and lauded Channel 4 comedy series We Are Lady Parts.If you watch Britain’s Got Talent, the chances are you saw Richard Essien introduce himself as the street magician Magical Bones. His shows combine magic, illusions and street-dance culture and before he fully committed to his magic career, he was a hip-hop dancer working with huge music acts; form The Black-Eyed Peas to Alicia Keys and even private events for Madonna.All that plus The Inheritance Tracks of comedian Lou Sanders - and we join Jason Williams ...In Nature.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

8/19/2023 • 58 minutes, 29 seconds

Suzi Quatro grew up in Detroit in a very musical family. It was, at the age of six, after seeing Elvis perform on television that made Suzi decide music was to be her life. She’s also an actor, poet, has a new album called 'Face to Face' with KT Tunstall, is on tour...and she once broke Alice Cooper’s nose.Shortly after they got married, the best-selling author Amy McCulloch and her new husband headed to South America for a six-month backpacking adventure. Then, one night, Amy heard that a cabin had suddenly become available on a ship heading to the Antarctic. She was desperate to take it. He wanted to stay. This thrilling real story was the spark for the inspiration behind her new book 'Midnight'.Picture the scene...Sheffield in the mid-nineties. Two cheeky teenage lads sitting together in the school canteen tucking into burger and chips for lunch or maybe a bacon sandwich. Since then, Henry Firth and Ian Theasby are the plant-based chefs behind the hugely successful “BOSH!” and whose new cookbook 'Meat' sees them make bacon from bananas and chicken from peas.All that plus The Inheritance Tracks of journalist, broadcaster and BBC Explainer–in-Chief, Ros Atkins - and we join Nicky Dorrington ...In Nature.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

8/12/2023 • 59 minutes, 18 seconds

Jon Culshaw's big break came when convincing the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in a prank phone call that HE was the then Conservative leader William Hague - an infamous moment in his life for which he was called an imposter. Since then, he’s built up a repertoire of 350 celebrity voices, starred in 23 series of Dead Ringers and joins us live from the Edinburgh Festival where he’s starring in his new show, Imposter Syndrome.Tommy Jessop is an actor, a campaigner and has just had his first book published, 'A Life Worth Living’. In 2007, he became the first actor with Down Syndrome to star in a primetime BBC Drama in the film ‘Coming Down the Mountain’ and has gone onto tour theatres as Hamlet and played Terry Boyle in 'Line of Duty’.This year’s Great British Sewing Bee champion Asmaa Al-allak spent her formative years growing up in Iraq. Her grandmother was a seamstress who passed her skills on to Asmaa’s mother, who in turn taught her and after winning the series, Asmaa said it’s fair to say ‘it’s in the blood’. After leaving Iraq at the age of 14, having lived through the Iran-Iraq war, Asmaa and her family moved to Durham where her father was working as a scientist. She went on to study medicine and is now a consultant breast surgeon at a cancer centre in Cardiff.Also - the first in our '...In Nature' series where we hear from artists and creatives about how they are inspired by the natural world. Today is the turn of printmaker and wood engraver Molly Lemon.And...the Inheritance Tracks of Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon KayProducer: Ben Mitchell

8/5/2023 • 59 minutes, 12 seconds

Peggy Seeger is often described as the godmother of folk. She was married to Ewan McColl who led the British Folk Revival in the late 50s and 60’s and wrote The First Time Ever I Saw your Face, for her. Peggy’s been singing since the age of two; has played guitar, banjo, piano, electroharp, the concertina and Appalachian dulcimer. All of this is not surprising given she’s a member of the North American musical Seeger family.Many songwriters have penned the lyrics – Love Changes Everything and in Ruth Birch’s case – it certainly did. Ruth was forced to leave the job she loved after the "horrific" experience of being interrogated by military police over her sexuality. She was an analyst in the Intelligence Corps having joined the Army in 1987 – where it was illegal to be gay until the year 2000 - and was investigated over her same sex relationship with Ju - who was an officer as they served together in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Dame Tanni Grey Thompson is one of the country’s greatest sports stars. A Baroness, gold medals aplenty, sits on the board of many organizations, TV and radio presenter and Mastermind veteran. Need we say more.All that – plus the Inheritance Tracks of metal music icon Dave Mustaine. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason MohammadProducer: Ben Mitchell

7/29/2023 • 1 hour, 59 seconds

Carrie and David Grant are best known as the expert vocal coaches from Fame Academy to Carrie and David's Pop Shop. But, they’re new book 'A Very Modern Family' charts their parenting experiences in the hope that it will help other families in similar circ*mstances. The scientist and presenter Professor Turi King, whose genealogy, forensics and archaeological finds helped her identify Richard III during his car park exhumation. Bringing the funny to proceedings stand-up comedian Nabil Abdulrashid has gone from a finalist on Britain’s Grot Talent to making a Pilgrimage on the BBC Two show. All that – plus the Inheritance Tracks of Rob Rinder.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason MohammadProducers: Ben Mitchell and Glyn Tansley

7/25/2023 • 1 hour, 37 seconds

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

7/22/2023 • 1 hour, 49 seconds

Countryfile, Woman’s Hour, and dazzling audiences on the Strictly Dancefloor – Anita Rani is a hugely popular and award-winning presenter whose Indian ancestry means a lot to her - and it was her experience on Who Do You Think You Are? that planted the seed for her debut novel “Baby Does a Runner".Max Dickins is a stand-up comedian and author who has performed thousands of gigs and 3 hour solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. His latest book ‘Billy No Mates’ is a memoir which touches on some really important and emotional issues about loneliness and why so many men are so bad at friendship. Nadeem Perera is a wildlife host and co-founder of the birdwatching collective “Flock Together”. He grew up in the London Docklands but was often taken back to Sri Lanka by his mother and it was the nature of her homeland that inspired him to become a naturalist.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of the mellifluous actor and musician Minnie Driver.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason MohammadProducer: Ben Mitchell

7/15/2023 • 59 minutes, 17 seconds

Dawn O’Porter reigned supreme in the area of TV that wanted the presenter ‘immersed’ in the subject; exploring the dangerous size-zero aesthetic, attitudes to nudity, mail order brides, geisha traditions and most personally perhaps, breast cancer, the disease to which she lost her mother. But since 2006 she’s refocused her attention to the written word having penned eight books, with two more on the way, her latest is Cat Lady.Believe it or not the new football season is just three weeks away. But Robert Kasanga is worlds away from the big money world of Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp. Having turned his life around from a world of inner-city gangs to founding Hackney Wick FC – a club that gives young people involved in gangs a way out through football.Nick Hounsfield began his career as an osteopath, following in the footsteps of his father, and set up his own practice alongside his wife. A passionate surfer since he was knee high to a grasshopper, Nick has since founded The Wave, a pioneering artificial surfing park which opened its first site near Bristol in 2019. But less than a year later, at the age of 46, Nick suffered a series of strokes, and his infant business was forced to close because of the pandeminc.And we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks of DJ turned author and podcaster Annie Mac.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason MohammadProducer: Ben MitchellDetails of support for bereavement and victims of crime is available at BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

7/8/2023 • 59 minutes, 12 seconds

Today we welcome the writer, broadcaster and journalist Jimi Famurewa.Martin Roberts, the broadcaster, property expert and host of BBC Television series Homes Under the Hammer.And the founder of the Tuneless Choir, Nadine Cooper. Plus, we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks from 'kitchen disco queen' and singer, Sophie Ellis-Bextor.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason Mohammad.Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

7/1/2023 • 1 hour, 44 seconds

Today we welcome singer-songwriter, television presenter and sound healing practitioner, Charlotte Church. Reverend Eve Pitts, one of the first Black Caribbean Vicars in the Church of England and a campaigner for racial justice.Former police officer turned best-selling author Clare Mackintosh.And we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks from actor, comedian and writer, Guz Khan.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jason Mohammad. Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

6/24/2023 • 59 minutes, 29 seconds

Today we say 'kia ora' to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, opera legend and Patron of the BBC Cardiff Singer of The World - which is in it's 40th anniversary year. With a story of ‘hidden roots’, singer Joe Jaquest Oteng reveals the huge family secrets he unearthed after the death of his father, which took his search to Ghana.And we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks of the wonderful actor Tanya Moodie.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

6/17/2023 • 57 minutes, 12 seconds

The actor, memoirist and ‘woman relishing Old Rage’ Dame Sheila Hanco*ck looks back on her storied career having worked at the top of the game for seven decades.The multi-hyphenate Vogue Williams, model, podcaster, media star, business woman and mother of three describes what the podcast world has done for her. Engineering presenter Fran Scott, famous for her fiery TV demonstrations, reveals the secrets of how to build an F1 car. And we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks of actor, rapper and writer Ben Bailey Smith.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

6/10/2023 • 59 minutes, 13 seconds

Eoin Colfer, the international bestselling Artemis Fowl author reveals why he’s tackling climate change via a graphic novel and how you write subjects like this for children.Taking on the challenge of the great outdoors in a very personal way, is hairdresser Alan Bateson who's about to run 1,047 miles in 22 days...we’ll find out why! Tackling each other’s very different views, on the 75th anniversary of Windrush, we have squabbling couple Jennifer Beckford and Professor Robert Beckford. And we’ll hear the Inheritance Tracks of Supergrass frontman and solo singer Gaz Coombes.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben MitchellDetails of support for addiction and child sexual abuse is available at BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

6/3/2023 • 57 minutes, 57 seconds

Live from the Hay Festival Nikki and Huw are joined by the model, presenter and writer Lisa Snowdon whose book 'Just Getting Started' urges women, especially those who’re menopausing, to seize their power.Author, travel writer, broadcaster and local boy Horatio Clare has been asking ‘Does Psychiatry Work’ in his latest radio series and as someone who understands psychosis personally, he may have some good insights. More empowering guidance is at hand in the shape of the irrepressible TikTok star and funny woman Fats Timbo with her ten commandments to live with 'Main Character Energy'. And The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, shares his Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

5/27/2023 • 56 minutes, 42 seconds

We’re all standing to attention, as the paragon of discipline, former SAS member Billy Billingham and chief instructor on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins talks about how he's gone from a life of crime to towing the line. Louise Minchin is a broadcaster who spent twenty years on the BBC Breakfast sofa, but did you know she is passionate about endurance sports? Her latest book "Fearless" sees her taking on physical challenges with inspirational women.And completing the Circle of Life are the leonine brothers and longest serving cast members of The Lion King, actors Shaun Escoffery and George Asprey.Former A & E doctor, Love Island star and mental health campaigner Dr Alex George shares his Inheritance Tracks. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

5/20/2023 • 59 minutes, 4 seconds

Multi-hyphenate Steve Jones, TV presenter, podcaster, novelist and librocubicularist, discusses his debut novel Call Time.Not one for lying in bed reading, Gardener's World gardener Rekha Mistry reveals what it takes to make great marmalade. Freya Bromley, author and podcaster of The Tidal Year, expounds upon the virtues of swimming in every tidal pool in the UK and how it helped her grief.Ghost and Horrible Histories star, Mathew Baynton, shares his Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw StephensProducer: Ben Mitchell

5/13/2023 • 59 minutes, 50 seconds

Bestselling novelist AJ Pearce, whose work has been inspired by a personal collection of women’s magazines and journals dating back to 1761! Her new book, "Mrs Porter Calling", is the third in her Emmy Lake Chronicles, set in London during The Second World War.Ian Holloway, the celebrated football manager and pundit, whose post-match interviews do wonders for the English language, reveals what it was like balancing the abuse he received on the pitch with coming to terms with raising three children who were born profoundly deaf.The next big thing from Aardman Animations, Magdalena Osinska, charts how her journey from Warsaw to Bristol has led her to writing and directing her very own stop-motion Star Wars film - "I Am Your Mother".The Booker Prize winning author Douglas Stuart shares his Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Peter CurranProducer: Ben Mitchell

5/6/2023 • 58 minutes, 45 seconds

Dr Chris Van Tulleken's new book, Ultra-Processed People: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’t food, untangles our relationship with fast food, bad food and maybe even your breakfast. The poet and artist Frieda Hughes, daughter of famed Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, has written about her experiences saving a wild Magpie, George, and why she now lives with 14 owls, two huskies, a Maltese terrier, five chinchillas, a ferret called 'Socks', a Royal python and her collection of motorbikes. Artist and animator Gary Andrews has worked for Disney and brought Fireman Sam to life - but possibly his most powerful work was created whilst he illustrated his way through the grief of loosing his wife. Alex Jones, broadcaster and host of The One Show and Reunion Hotel, shares her Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Peter CurranProducer: Ben MitchellDetails of support with eating disorders is available at BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

4/29/2023 • 59 minutes, 5 seconds

Ghosts, Steth Lets Flats and Ted Lasso star, Katy Wix, talks about her life through the medium of...cake. Her memoir Delicacy uses the sweet treat to frame the biggest moments of her life.Janina Ramirez, author of the bestselling Femina and President of the Gloucester History Festival, reveals why she gave up a career as a punk rocker to regale us all with stories of ancients civilisations.As a dark chapter in Ukraine's history continues to be written, Solomiya Znak from the Ukraine Opera and Ballet Company of Kyiv, describes how art is helping to cast a ray of hope.Sir Tony Robinson, actor, broadcaster and host of new podcast Cunningcast, shares his Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Peter CurranProducer: Ben MitchellDetails of support with eating disorders is available at BBC Action Line: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

4/22/2023 • 56 minutes, 51 seconds

The designer and business-woman Cath Kidston reveals the person beyond the patterns - and explains how she's moved away from drawing flowers to drawing on the natural properties of them for her new business venture.Stig Abell's career spans from running the Press Complaints commission, managing editor of The Sun and Times Radio breakfast show presenter. But, he can now add crime fiction novelist to his extensive CV with the publication of Death Under a Little Sky.Wheelchair rugby star and Olympic gold medallist Kylie Grimes discusses the sport's expansion and champions getting more women into sport of all kinds.Musician Rufus Wainwright shares his inheritance tracks.

4/15/2023 • 58 minutes, 45 seconds

Designer and broadcaster, Anna Ryder Richardson, reveals why she gave up her celebrity life and go full "Matt Damon" when she bought a zoo and moved her family to rural Wales.During the first lockdown with all his performances cancelled, the writer and opera star Peter Brathwaite, began researching his Barbadian roots, uncovering both enslaved and enslaver ancestors.Lee Skeet had to give up his dream after a hit and run accident saw him forced out of the kitchen for over three years. The former head chef at a Michelin starred restaurant, who trained under Gordan Ramsey and Marcus Wareing, has just opened his new restaurant named after his son who also survived the incident that changed his life.Broadcaster Sophie Raworth shares her Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Peter CurranProducer: Ben Mitchell

4/8/2023 • 59 minutes, 56 seconds

Harlan Coben joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The multiple award-winning thriller writer has sold over 80 million books, many of which have been adapted for TV. The Netflix adaption of Fool Me Once is currently being filmed. A New Jersey native, Harlan's latest book I Will Find You explores the darker side of suburban living.Fergus Durrant and Romy Dixon found something unexpected in his father’s effects, a discovery that was to lead them on a journey made 125 years earlier.James Phillips won the ARIAS Best New Presenter Gold award for 2022 and a Bronze award for his National Prison Radio programme, The Rock Show. James talks about the events that led him to prison and his life now, after serving his sentence.Matthew Modine shares his Inheritance Tracks: Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto and On My Feelings by Ruby Modine.Dr Sian Williams has been an anchor of some of the BBC’s biggest shows, including BBC Breakfast. During her career she's also presented Saturday Live, and most recently Life Changing on Radio 4. Ten years ago she retrained as a psychologist and will talk about how her two areas of specialism collide. Producer: Claire Bartleet

4/1/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 1 second

Broadcaster and biological anthropologist Alice Roberts reveals the secret behind the UK's fascination with castles.Chris Howard, one of the creators of David Attenborough's Wild Isles, discusses the trials and tribulations of filming the elusive beaver.Scottish-Egyptian musicians The Ayoub Sisters perform their revival of an old Arabic folk song; live in the studio.Author and Broadcaster Elizabeth Day shares her Inheritance Tracks.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Peter CurranProducer: Ben Mitchell

4/1/2023 • 58 minutes, 48 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Spencer Matthews, who gained fame in the reality tv series Made In Chelsea. Now an entrepreneur and broadcaster, Spencer has made a documentary which shows him looking for his brother who went missing on Mount Everest over 20 years ago.Comedian Rachel Parris joins us, talking about the power of seeking advice and how it has influenced her life. Dilly Carter is a straight-talking organiser who can be seen on TV as a decluttering expert. After spending her early years in a Sri Lankan orphanage Dilly was adopted and brought to England where her household was chaotic, inspiring her need to tidy. She'll tell her story.How many of us have sat around thinking of an app that would make us millions? That’s what Dhiraj Mukherjee did - with the help of friends, when they came up with the idea of Shazam, the music identification service. He joins us to tell us how he got there, and how it wasn’t quite as simple as it might seem.We also have the inheritance tracks of Anneka Rice who chooses Joan Baez There but for fortune and Nina Simone, Feeling Good.And your Thank you!Producer: Corinna Jones

3/18/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 16 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Prue Leith, GBBO judge, restaurateur, novelist and now with a one woman show.Sarah Raven on her journey from inauspicious school career to training as a doctor to purveyor of plants and writer - her latest book is A Year Full of Veg. Jenny Radcliffe has made a successful living from breaking into people’s homes and businesses, testing out security systems. She joins us to explain how she got into it. and Michelle Elman on showing her scars after years of operations as a child and reframing being selfish as loving yourself.Lily James chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Eric Bibb: The Cape, and Leanne Lehavas: Green Papya.And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

3/11/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 57 seconds

Lang Lang joins Nikki Bedi and Danny Wallace. The internationally renowned pianist has sold millions of albums and performed around the world. He started playing the piano age three and to follow his dreams his family made significant sacrifices. Lang Lang talks about his path to success, and why he wants to encourage others to perform. You can watch Lang Lang on The Piano, Channel 4 and his Disney Book album is out now. Until recently, Zainab Alema was working as a neonatal nurse. However, in 2021, she decided to follow her dream of becoming the first black Muslim woman to play rugby for England. Since then, she’s been committing to her life on the pitch whilst balancing the raising of three young children at the same time.Francis Bourgeois aka The Train Guy began making videos on trainspotting in early 2021 and quickly became an internet sensation. Since then he has achieved cult status, and millions of followers, championing unadulterated joy and the importance of embracing your passions. You can read about his adventures in The Trainspotter's Notebook.George Webster shares his Inheritance Tracks: I Feel by Teddy Thompson and Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.Iszi Lawrence is a comedian with a fascination for history, You can hear her on Radio 4’s Your Place or Mine alongside Shaun Keaveny, and she writes children’s historical adventures - the latest books are The Time Machine Next Door: Explorers and Milkshakes and The Time Machine Next Door: Scientists and Stripy Socks.Producer Claire Bartleet

3/11/2023 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 24 seconds

Jojo Moyes joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The bestselling author has sold over 50 million novels and Me Before You was adapted into a film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Jojo talks about the inspirational for her new book Someone Else's Shoes, rebooting her life, and her unusual painting collection.Henry Naylor is an award-winning playwright but before that he wrote comedy satire for Spitting Image and Smith and Jones. His latest show Afghanistan is Not Funny looks back at a trip he made to Kabul in 2002.Aaron Horn’s life changed forever after a tragic accident involving his mother, when he was in his early 20s. Coming from a musical family, performing took on increased significance in helping Aaron deal with the resulting trauma.Carlo Rovelli chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Nothing Shines Unless It Burns by Belladonna and Fratres by Arvo Pärt. Anaximander and the Nature of Science is out now.Crime writer CJ Daugherty talks about her latest novel The Chase which is written under the pseudonym Ava Glass. With a female British spy at its centre, Ava talks about the real life experiences that inspired her.Producer: Claire Bartleet

2/25/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined in the studio by broadcaster Johnny Vaughan. Best known for his presenting stints on The Big Breakfast and radio shows on pretty much every network, Johnny now has a new podcast called Alien Kidnap Club in which he interviews people who believe they have encountered alien life. Actress Felicity Montagu stars in new series Beyond Paradise, which spins off from Death in Paradise. Known for her wide range of acting roles, especially playing Alan Partridge's long-suffering PA Lynn Benfield, Felicity talks about her life and career. In the nineties, Patrick Duff was poised to become a huge hit as the lead singer of the band Strangelove. They supported Radiohead and Suede on tours, and played Glastonbury's main stage twice. But Patrick was living with alcoholism, which ultimately led to the band's breakup before they had their chance at fame. Since then he has been performing with a huge range of singers and songwriters, including the legendary South African performer Madosini.After training as a stonemason, Beatrice Searle decided to complete a pilgrimage from Orkney to Nidaros Cathedral in the Norwegian city of Trondheim. As if that weren't challenging enough, she dragged a 40kg rock that she had plucked from an Orkney beach in a specially made cart behind her. She tells Nikki and Richard about this journey and its impact on her life.Andrew Roachford, known for hit single Cuddly Toy and for his work with Mike + the Mechanics, picks his Inheritance Tracks. And we have a Thank You from father and daughter John and Amelia.Producer: Tim Bano

2/18/2023 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by writer, podcaster and ghost-botherer Danny Robins, behind the hit podcast The Battersea Poltergeist and smash West End play 2.22 A Ghost Story. TV presenter and inclusive travel expert Sophie Morgan is best known for presenting the London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. She talks about her life-changing injury, her recovery and the new series of Living Wild in which she embarks on an epic road trip across the UK. Psychologist Dr Julie Smith is on a mission to make mental health treatment more accessible to her 4.2 million followers on Tiktok. And Jack Friend is fresh from an extraordinary trip: he and his three brothers - two sets of twins - rowed across the Atlantic last year, spending 32 days at sea on a tiny boat. Plus a special Valentine's Day Thank You, and the Inheritance Tracks of TV presenter Sean Fletcher. Producer: Tim Bano

2/11/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 15 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Michael Rosen: Bear Hunt writer, broadcaster, covid survivor, national treasure… he tells us about his life lessons.Susanna Thornton tells us about her lifelong association with cycling and freedom – which led to a mammoth cycle from Hong Kong to London and many much smaller, wild bikepacking trips in the UK, which she documents online. She joins us.Actor Nikki Amuka Bird joins us to talk about her route into acting and her latest role. Nature writer and conservationist Nick Acheson spent winter 2020 on his mum’s red bike following the hundreds of thousands of geese that descend on his native Norfolk, he joins us. Former rugby union player Chris Robshaw chooses his tracks: If You Don’t Know Me By Now by Simply Red and California King Bed by Rihanna and we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

2/4/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Haydn Gwynne joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The actor talks about her latest role in The Great British Bake Off Musical. Since deciding to pursue acting in her mid-twenties, Gwynne has had a varied career on stage and screen, including playing Camilla in The Windsors.Award winning composer Peter Raeburn’s work has ranged from films such as Sexy Beast to adverts including Guinness Surfer. Peter’s forthcoming album Recovery is based on his personal experiences after having life-saving brain-surgery. Caro Giles lives in rural Northumberland. Her memoir Twelve Moons reflects on the joys and difficulties of immersing herself in the environment that now surrounds her.Tom Allen shares his Inheritance Tracks: Saving All My Love for You by Whitney Houston and Chicago by Sufjan Stevens. Tom is on tour from1st February and his book Too Much is out now.Adam Henson is a farmer and presenter. He runs Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, which pioneers rare breed conservation and was opened by his father Joe in 1971. Television credits include Countryfile, Lambing Live, Coast and Inside Out. His latest book ‘Two For Joy’ looks at countryside superstitions and folklore.Producer: Claire Bartleet

2/2/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 9 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Miles Jupp, comedian, writer and actor who pops up in everything from the Vestry in Rev, the press room in The Thick of It, a Greek Island in The Durrells and recently, the desert in SAS Rogue Heroes. He's also written novels, radio series and presented the News Quiz.Cariad Lloyd is a comedian who lost her father at a young age and has since dealt with her grief through her podcast, Griefcast. She talks openly and honestly about grief and its effects with her guests, who include authors, comedians and other public figures. But how does death blend with comedy? She joins us.We also have author Anstey Harris, whose new fiction book has been inspired by her own adoption and research into her birth relatives. Connecting with a community of fellow adoptees on social media has helped her process some of the feelings she has had about her history. Dr Sean Kingsley is a Saturday Live listener who contacted us about researching his family story. When we heard he was also a marine archaeologist, we thought - let's get him on the show!Blake Harrington from The Inbetweeners chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses and Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen performed by Baz Luhrman.and we have your Thank You from someone you were unable to thank at the time. Producer: Corinna Jones

1/21/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 47 seconds

Vicky Pattison joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The podcaster and author was Crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2015. Gaining fame initially through the reality TV show Geordie Shore, Vicky reflects on the ups and downs of her life in the public eye and shares her experiences in her latest book The Secret to Happy.George Linnane is a caver who was rescued by 300 volunteers after 54 hours underground. One of those volunteers was Maxine Bateman. They discuss what happened and how George is recovering just over a year after the event.Natasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning television producer. She has written, directed and produced numerous documentaries and children's television shows. Her book ‘Muppets in Moscow’ is about the challenges and successes of bringing Sesame Street to post-communist Russia in the 1990s.George Takei chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole and Don't Fence Me In by Gene Autry. George Takei's Allegiance is at the Charing Cross Theatre in London until the 8th April.Radio 1’s Matt Edmondson says he has spent his whole life trying to get thoughts out of his brain into the real world. So far, his interests have led him to broadcasting, magic, creating board games, TV formats and music. If any of the issues we’ve touched on during the programme affect you or someone you know please go to bbc.co.uk/actionline where you’ll find information and support.Producer: Claire Bartleet

1/18/2023 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 16 seconds

Philippa Perry joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The psychotherapist, writer, agony aunt and broadcaster is married to the artist Grayson Perry. Her works include The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did).Peter Lantos tells the story of how he survived the Holocaust as a small child in Bergen-Belsen. He offers an extraordinary perspective of not just living through terrible events, but on making sense of them as well.Sean Gandini is a renowned juggling artist and performer. He grew up in Havana, Cuba, where he developed a fascination with magic and mathematics, eventually leading him to take up juggling at the age of 16. Eliza Carthy chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Good Morning, Mr Walker by Mighty Sparrow and Killer Queen by Queen.It’s been 21 years since a 12 year old Dani Harmer first appeared in children’s drama The Story of Tracy Beaker, based on Jacqueline Wilson’s books about growing up in a care home. Harmer has had a varied career outside the famous TV series, but explains why she's happy to see what Tracy's up to.The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die by Peter Lantos is out now. Sean Gandini with Kati will be performing The Games We Play as part of Mime London 2023 at The Place on the 20th and 21st of January. Eliza & Martin Carthy, and her band The Restitution, will be at The Barbican in London on Saturday 4th of February.The new series of The Beaker Girls starts on Friday 13th January at 6pm on CBBC and can be seen afterwards on BBC iPlayer.Producer: Claire Bartleet

1/18/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 36 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray are joined by Julia Donaldson CBE, the children's writer who has written over 200 books, not least The Gruffulo, Stick Man, The Highway Rat and Room on the Broom to name a few. She is also a composer and ex children’s laureate and her repertoire includes books for school use to help children learning to read. From running an Argos store and working as a stand up comedian, to being a parish priest in Burnley, Fr Alex Frost has become a campaigner against poverty and deprivation. He joins us.Cat Turnbull is a search and rescue paramedic based in Portsmouth who was part of the all female final for SAS Who dares wins, the programme that puts contestants through a military training regime. and Vikki Stone is an award-winning writer, composer, comedian and musician who has co-adapted children’s TV favourite Hey Duggee for a major live theatre tour. Actor David Harewood chooses his inheritance tracks: Everything I Own by Ken Boothe and Stevie Wonder Living for the City and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

12/31/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Matt Goss joins Nikki Bedi and Peter Curran. The singer-songwriter and actor will perform Santa Baby and talk about his life, career and what it means to be living back in the UK after over a decade in America. Matt first shot to international stardom as one half of 1980s band Bros but has carved out a successful solo career, his latest single is The Beautiful Unknown. He's touring next year with The Matt Goss Experience which starts in Croydon on the 27th February and finishes on the 16th April in Dublin.Lucinda Hawksley is an author and art historian with a love of the environment: cetaceans are one of her passions. As a great-great-great granddaughter of Charles and Catherine Dickens, Lucinda has grown up with an interest in her family history. She's a patron of the Charles Dickens Museum in London and the Norwegian Pickwick Club.Emma Smith will be offering top festive tips, using her own experiences which include running a nursey and cooking school. Now a mother of three, after her first child died aged 10 weeks Emma changed her life and now she's trying to make the most of everything and fill life with joy.Tom Felton shares his Inheritance Tracks: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Tom's memoir Beyond the Wand is out now.Darren Harriott grew up in the West Midlands and found drama and comedy after being beaten up by fellow gang members aged 15, and finding himself in hospital on New Year’s Eve. 2023 looks set to pose new challenges as Darren’s about to take part in ITVs Dancing on Ice and undertake his first UK tour ‘Roadman’, which starts on Wednesday 13th September at Glasgow’s Glee Club and culminates on 25th October at Salford’s Lowry.Producer: Claire Bartleet

12/24/2022 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 15 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by comedian, writer, presenter and disability rights campaigner Sally Phillips whose career covers some of the most successful British comedies of all time, including I'm Alan Partridge and Miranda, as well as Hollywood movies like Bridget Jones. Her new series My Life At Christmas features interviews with big name stars to find out what Christmas means to them. Nadiyka Gerbish joins live from Ukraine to talk about how her country celebrates Christmas, especially with the constant threat of blackouts. Alex Pine tells us about his career as a bestselling crime writer, heavily influenced by his early life as a street trader which featured many brushes with the law. Scotty Mills is the highest-ranking black officer in the history of the Royal Marines and led Britain's Commandos around the world, before going on to a career which has included being an author, inspiring others with his approach to leadership, and advising the England men's football team, playing a huge part in their recent success.This week's Inheritance Tracks come from Hollywood actor Kate Hudson who stars in the new film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Kate chooses Bruce Springsteen's The Promise and Bob Dylan's Simple Twist of Fate. And we have a special Thank You from screenwriter and children's author Frank Cottrell Boyce. Producer: Tim Bano and Annette Wells

12/17/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Pattie Boyd joins Nikki Bedi and Danny Wallace. The model, muse and photographer talks about her life, the influence of her early years and how she dealt with many years in the public eye, where relationships with George Harrison and Eric Clapton inspired songs such as Harrison's Something and Clapton’s Layla and Wonderful Tonight.When listener Andrew Lock heard our science lesson call in it prompted him to get in touch and tell us about his surprising career as an inventor on a TV show in the late 1990s, while he was still a student. Andrew joins us to talk about his ingenious inventions and his brief taste of life as a TV presenter.Richie Barlow’s childhood was littered with abuse and chaos, as he struggled to find his place in the world. He spent most of his childhood in care, from the age of nine. Richie talks about turning his life around and running a successful business, the women who helped him, and how Star Trek taught Richie how to survive and forgive.Howard Blake OBE is best known for composing the music for The Snowman, which is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the film’s debut and 25 years as a stage play. Outside this festive staple, Blake has a hugely varied body of work which includes creating the music for The Avengers and a string of big commercials. He was also commissioned to write a new piece for Princess Diana’s thirtieth birthday.Pattie Boyd: My Life In Pictures is out now.Richie - Who Cares? by Richie Barlow – with Becky Bond is available online now.To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of ‘The Snowman’ Sony are releasing of a newly-remastered edition of the soundtrack. The Snowman stage show is running until 31 December at the Peaco*ck Theatre in London.Producer: Claire Bartleet

12/10/2022 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 57 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by the BAFTA-winning writer, Jack Thorne. Jack's written a string of hits for stage and screen including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the BBC's adaptation of His Dark Materials, the TV drama This is England and the Enola Holmes films.Cellist Jacqueline Thomas is a member of the renowned Brodsky Quartet, which she co-founded with her brother at the age of 10. As the group celebrates its 50th anniversary, Jacqueline recalls collaborations with famous musicians and growing up amid the rich cultural scene of 1970s Middlesbrough.The artist Jon Rees helps people to explore the therapeutic power of photography for The Connection at St Martin's, the charity supported by this year's Radio 4 appeal. Jon talks about his struggles with addiction and homelessness and how art helped him find a new purpose.The actor and writer Tara Flynn co-hosts Radio 4's Now You're Asking, in which she and Marian Keyes attempt to solve listeners' life problems. She reveals the most unusual questions she's been asked and reflects on her own life experiences, including her role in the campaign to legalise abortion in Ireland.Caroline Hirons shares her Inheritance Tracks: On Her Majesty's Secret Service by John Barry, and Travelin' Soldier by The Chicks.Producer: Dan Hardoon

12/3/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by the actress and presenter Emily Atack. She shot to fame in coming of age comedy The Inbetweeners when she was just 17. TV and theatre roles came her way, as well as stints on reality shows such as Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity. She has since done three series of her eponymous one woman show for ITV. Donna Freed is a writer and translator who is one half of the UK's longest running all-female podcast, Radio Gorgeous. Donna was adopted, and found out that her birth parents were involved in an infamous double indemnity life insurance scam. She joins us.We also have: Alan Leach, formerly Shed Seven drummer turned solo artist whose latest album is I wish I knew now what I thought I knew then. He also loves pub quizzes, and his hatred of cheating led to him creating an app to help stop it. and Dr Tim Spector whose Zoe app monitored covid cases over the country. Now he's turned his focus to nutrition, inspired by a dramatic personal experience. Inheritance Tracks are chosen this week by ACDC's Brian Johnson: Look over yonder wall by Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Broken Down Angel by Nazareth.And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

11/26/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 20 seconds

Michael Morpurgo joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The author has written over 150 books but is perhaps best known as the creator of War Horse, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The former Children’s Laureate is also the co-founder, with his wife Clare, of the charity Farms for City Children.Anne-Marie Dias Borges tells the story of how she was born into destitution, but was taken in by the inventor the hair claw clip.Nikita Gill is the UK’s biggest online poet. Always writing as a child, Nikita was first published aged 12, and has gone on to produce a catalogue of bestselling poetry collections, her latest work including her own illustrations.Michel Roux Jnr chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Non, je ne regrette rien by Edith Piaf and Hiro by Soprano.Martin O’Neill's career has spanned more than 50 years. One of nine children, he studied Law at Queens University Belfast, before being signed up by Nottingham Forest. He became a key part of Brian Clough’s legendary team in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. He represented Northern Ireland more than 60 times and led them to the 1982 World Cup. As a manager he took Leicester City to two League Cups, Celtic to seven trophies, and Republic of Ireland to the 2016 European Championship.The 40th anniversary edition of War horse by Michael Morpurgo is out now, as is Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever.These Are the Words by Nikita Gill is out now.Albert Roux’s memoir My Life in Food is out now.On Days Like These: My Life in Football by Martin O'Neill is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet

11/19/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 12 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Martin Kemp on life before, during and after Spandau Ballet and keeping the 80s music scene alive.We also have:Listener Jenny Sheppard whose family secret has dominated her life.Printmaker Angela Harding on recreating nature on paper, starting her business late and what's it's like to have her work adorning tea towels and calendars.Comedian Shazia Mirza on comedy, Birmingham and Bollywood.Actor Hugh Bonneville chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Look what they've done to my song, Ma performed by Melanie and Starman by David Bowie. and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

11/12/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds

Luke Evans joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The Hobbit and Nine Perfect Strangers star left a happy family home in Wales age 16 to pursue his dreams. Luke's big break came after being seen in a London play and he combines acting with a lifelong passion for singing, as he releases his second album.Lucy Gray began collecting discarded shopping lists by accident, as a way to amuse her friends during lockdown. After amassing over 250 of them, they are being displayed in the Museum of Brands in London. Lucy talks about what shopping lists say about us, and how they offer a window into the human condition.Susan Rogers started her career as a recording engineer and worked with Prince on albums including Purple Rain and Parade. After more commercial success in the 1990s she finally had the money to move into academia and is now a professor of Psychoacoustics, looking at why we’re drawn to music and what it says about us.Dan Walker chooses his Inheritance Tracks: the theme-tune to Grandstand and Heartache Tonight by the Eagles.Writer and poet, David Toms was born with a rare congenital heart defect - a transposition of the great arteries. As a result, he has had to live with the fear and restriction of not knowing when his heart might give out. What has life been like for him, having to learn to live life as a spectator? A Song For You by Luke Evans is out now.This Is What It Sounds Like: What The Music You Like Says About You by Susan Rogers is out now.Standing on the Shoulders by Dan Walker is out now.Pacemaker by David Toms is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet

11/5/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw and Bez from Happy Mondays. They also have Dr Katriona O’Sullivan who grew up in poverty to parents who were addicted to heroin. Her journey has taken her from working as a dinner lady in the university canteen to becoming an academic. Rainbow Mbuangi plays blind football for England. Fresh from the blind football Euros, where England came third, he joins us to tell us how the game works.

10/29/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 47 seconds

Michael Ball joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. In a career spanning over 30 years the singer, actor and presenter has appeared in musicals from Les Miserables and Aspects of Love, to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Phantom of the Opera, winning Olivier Awards for his roles in Hairspray and Sweeney Todd. Michael's debut novel is a love letter to the theatre.As a boy, Hamed Amiri fled Herat with his parents and two brothers after the Taliban put out an execution order for his mother. Their journey from Afghanistan to the UK was made more complicated as his eldest brother had a heart condition. 20 years later, his story of displacement has been made into a play, shedding light on the plight of refugees.Donna Ashworth started a social media account to share inspirational quotes but after posting her poems anonymously she’s now a bestselling writer.Gabby Logan shares her Inheritance Tracks: Reach Out I'll Be There by the Four Tops and One Day Like This by Elbow.Ranvir Singh is an award-winning presenter and former political editor for ITV’s Good Morning Britain. She talks about her path to broadcasting and why riddles are featuring in her future.The Empire by Michael Ball is out now, Ball & Boe Together In Vegas is out on October 28th and Aspects of Love is booking from Friday 12 May 2023 until Saturday 11 November 2023 at London’s Lyric Theatre.The Boy with Two Hearts is at the National Theatre and runs until 12 November. The books Love, Life and Loss by Donna Ashworth are out now. Gabby Logan’s memoir The First Half is out now.Riddiculous starts on Monday 24th October at 3pm on ITV.Producer: Claire Bartleet

10/22/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Adrian Chiles. He has graced our TV screens presenting and reporting on various issues over the last 20 years from business to sport, to chat and back to sport again. But recently he has been talking about alcohol moderation, a subject that has become a personal passion project. Dr Rahul Mandal is the research scientist who won Bake Off in 2018 despite not having ever made a cake until 2016. He joins us. Listener Dr Susie West was a junior doctor on the cruise liner the SS Canberra in 1982. Then the Falklands conflict happened and the ship was requisitioned as troop ship. Susie decided to stay on and within five days they were sailing to the South Atlantic, where they became a target for Argentinian planes, saw ships sunk, took on survivors and POWs. She joins us.British designer Amanda Wakeley OBE joins us to discuss her fashion evolution and her new podcast ‘Amanda Wakeley: Style DNA.We have your thank you to someone you were unable to thank at the time, and the Inheritance Tracks of Billy Idol. He chooses Billy the Kid by Tex Ritter and Children of the Revolution by Marc Bolan and T-Rex.Produced by Corinna Jones

10/18/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Trevor Horn joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The multiple award-winning music producer shares stories from his decades in the music industry. First coming to prominence with The Buggles, Horn ran a label and influenced the iconic sound of artists including ABC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones and Seal. Raymond Blanc takes Anna Bailey around his orchard in Oxfordshire.Angela Hui talks about her experiences growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales, having duel identities and, after growing up hating food, developing a love of cooking as an adult.Suzi Ruffell shares her Inheritance Tracks: You're the First, the Last, My Everything by Barry White and Born this Way by Lady Gaga.Adam Parkinson is one half of the Two Mr Ps in a Pod(cast), two brothers from Manchester with over fifteen years of experience working in primary education. Together they share tales from the classroom and reminisce about their own school days. The podcast has amassed over five million listens, they've toured and written two books so far.Adventures in Modern Recording: From ABC to ZTT by Trevor Horn is published on 13 October. Angela Hui: Takeaway: Stories From Behind the Counter is out now. Suzi Ruffell’s UK Tour ‘Snappy’ runs until the end of October. This Is Your Own Time You’re Wasting by Lee and Adam Parkinson is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet

10/8/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 28 seconds

Craig David joins Julia Bradbury and Richard Coles. The singer-songwriter found fame age 18 with ‘Rewind’ and over the next 22 years dealt with the highs and lows of fame. Craig talks about his career, overcoming obstacles and rediscovering his good vibes.Kwesia aka City Girl in Nature grew up in Deptford, an inner city area of London. Growing up Kwesia dealt with violence and trauma but an opportunity to go to the Peruvian Amazon rainforest changed her life and she now works to share her love and passion for the outdoors.Sandy Nairne was deputy director of London’s Tate Gallery back in 1994 when he was woken in the early hours to be told that two Turner paintings, on loan from the Tate, had been stolen in Frankfurt. They were worth £30 million. He became the person responsible for tracking them down, which would take eight and a half years. Jamie Oliver shares his Inheritance Tracks: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding and Only To Be With You by Roachford.Susannah Constantine made her name as a stylist in What Not To Wear. She talks about her life, from being an 80s IT girl to the impact of her mother’s illness, and her own alcoholism.Craig David's new album 22 is out now and his book What’s Your Vibe is out on the 6th October.Kwesia features in a new podcast called Waterland's from The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.Catching the Art Thieves is on the BBC iPlayer now.One by Jamie Oliver is out nowReady for Absolutely Nothing by Susannah Constantine is out now. Producer: Claire Bartleet

10/3/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

Melanie C joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The musician, actor and now memoirist talks about how the seeds for Sporty Spice were planted in her childhood, reveals what it was like to be part of the Spice Girls, and the personal struggles behind the success. Pastor Mick Fleming was once a dangerous, violent drug user and dealer but he transformed his life in his 40s and now provides comfort and support for those in need.Opera singer Rebecca Bottone is the daughter of two acclaimed opera singers. She grew up backstage at some of the most prestigious performance spaces in the world. But as her career was taking off she experienced two traumatic pregnancies and was told at one point that she would never walk again.Rylan Clark shares his Inheritance Tracks: Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen and Pure Shores by All Saints.Theo Fennell is a world-famous jewellery designer who’s often described as The King of Bling. He talks about the importance of optimism and his love of condiments.Who I Am: My Story by Melanie C is out now.Blown Away: From Drug Dealer to Life Bringer by Pastor Mick Fleming is out now.Rebecca Bottone's Gilbert and Sullivan tour runs from Saturday 1st October until Sunday 13th November, starting in Stoke-on-Trent and ending in Richmond.Ten – The Decade that Changed My Future by Rylan is out on 29th September I Fear For this Boy: Some Chapters of Accidents by Theo Fennell is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet

9/24/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Dan Gillespie Sells joins Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Richard Coles. The lead singer with The Feeling, who also composed the music for Everybody's Talking About Jamie, met his fellow band members at the BRIT School aged 16 and they’ve been collaborating ever since. Their latest album is Loss Hope Love, containing the single On the Edge, and they are touring next month. Susan Cousins was abandoned as a baby in India. After being adopted she grew up predominantly in the UK but experienced difficulties, which she is now addressing as an adult through her work.Patrick van der Vorst always wanted to work in the art world. He succeeded, and even gained funding for his company on Dragons' Den. But he’s changed career and is now a trainee priest. Karen Carney shares her Inheritance Tracks: Say You'll Be There by the Spice Girls and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond.Lucy Edwards lost her sight suddenly at the age of 17. She made a video called “Blind Girl Does Her Own Make-Up”, ditched her plans to be a lawyer, did a journalism apprenticeship and took up social media on a mission to represent sight loss. Now she has a popular TikTok account with 1.8 million followers, a haircare sponsorship, and was the first person with sight loss to present on BBC Radio 1.Producer: Claire Bartleet

9/20/2022 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 30 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi host stories and tributes to the Queen.

9/10/2022 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 43 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray are joined by scientist and best selling writer Carlo Rovelli to discuss life outside of black holes and quantum mechanics and why he’s been dubbed the world’s most inspirational physics teacher.At the age of 24, Georgina Hurst was severely injured in an car accident caused by her then boyfriend’s dangerous driving. She was given a less than one per cent chance of survival. Determined to defy the odds, today she is gearing up to celebrate 25 years since the accident with a pole dancing performance. She tells her story.Nabil Ayres is the son of a white Jewish former ballerina and the famous black jazz musician Roy Ayers. Prior to his conception, his mother had arranged with his father that he would not have any parental input. Nabil grew up to be a music entrepreneur and a writer, and despite living in the same city has he never bumped into his father. He joins us.Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian cookery writer based in the UK. This year she has witnessed from afar the plight of her family and friends in Ukraine. She co founded the Cook for Ukraine movement and has become an activist on social media. She joins us.Writer Roddy Doyle chooses his Inheritance Tracks: River Stay 'Way From My Door - Paul Robeson and Boys From the Betterland - Fontaines D.C.and we have your thank you!Producer: Corinna Jones

9/3/2022 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 2 seconds

Deborah Moggach joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The novelist and screenwriter talks about relationships, why it’s never too late to have adventures and the forthcoming play based on her novel These Foolish Things. The first adaptation resulted in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel film.Listener Nick Bunker was listening to Saturday Live a few weeks ago when the writer Lesley Pearse told us how she’d been reunited with the son she’d given up for adoption. He was moved to write to us – as he was adopted as a baby in 1963. Fast forward 54 years later, he received an email and discovered he had a whole family in Australia where they’d emigrated as Ten Pound Poms!From a working class upbringing in post-war Sheffield to creating some of the most famous songs and bands of all time – The Human League and Heaven 17 – Martyn Ware has been at the forefront of music for decades. Jules Buckley shares his Inheritance Tracks: Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley and Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich.Samantha Renke is an actress, broadcaster and disability campaigner. She was born with brittle bone condition and uses her own experiences to advise and empower people, to overcome difficulties in their own lives.The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opens at Richmond Theatre on Monday 5th September 2022, and is then touring until Sat 3 June, ending in Festival Theatre, Edinburgh.Electronically Yours: Vol 1 by Martyn Ware is out now.You Are the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread by Samantha Renke is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet

8/27/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 8 seconds

Val McDermid joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The award-winning crime writer was inspired to write after reading Agatha Christie as a child. After attending Oxford University, Val started her career as a journalist and has drawn on these experiences in her latest thriller 1989. Kristin Mcilquham’s father suffered from a serious brain injury (three aneurysms) when she was child which changed her dad’s personality. Now an actor, she is performing her one-woman show Headcase about the impact this had on her life growing up, on her family and on her dad.Eileen Fitzgerald befriended The Rolling Stones as a teenager and exchanged letters with the fledgling rockers. Years later she sold the correspondence to help pay for her PhD.Trumpeter Alison Balsom shares her Inheritance Tracks: JS Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 by Trevor Pinnock with The English Concert and Con Alma by Dizzy Gillespie.Nihal Arthanayake started out as a recording artist before becoming an award-winning broadcaster. He talks about life growing up and why in his new book Let's Talk he's encouraging everyone to have better conversations.Producer: Claire Bartleet

8/20/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 28 seconds

Dave Gorman joins Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray ahead of his latest tour. The comedian gave up a bright future in maths to become a stand-up. He first found fame asking Are You Dave Gorman and, aided by a powerpoint, has been on a mission to prove Modern Life Is Goodish. He’s also recently become a crossword setter.Sanjar Qiam is a master kite-maker from Kabul. To mark the anniversary of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Sanjar is launching a kite-flying festival across the UK to celebrate Afghan culture and bring people together.Helen Linsell hated ballet lessons as a child but has spent her entire career encouraging others to dance. As the artistic director of Dance United Yorkshire, Helen works on dance projects with disadvantaged community groups, watching people grow in confidence through the power of movement. This dance-powered boost is something that Helen knows first-hand, from her own journey from shy and struggling adolescent to confident and courageous adult. Kate Nash shares her Inheritance Tracks: Delirium Tremens by Christy Moore and Stay Wild by Shuga.Writer Susie Boyt has published seven novels to date and her memoir My Judy Garland Life was also adapted for the stage. Susie talks about why fiction was important to her from a young age, and how her mother inspired her latest work Loved and Missed.The Fly With Me festival is happening at various locations on Saturday 20 August 2022. For more information go to goodchance.org.uk/flywithmeProducer: Claire Bartleet

8/13/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 37 seconds

Actor James Purefoy joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to talk about Fisherman's Friends One and All. From Mark Antony in Rome to The Black Prince in A Knight's Tale, James talks about his long and wide-ranging career.The Singh Twins are visual artists whose colourful and acclaimed work draws on traditional Indian techniques, Western medieval illuminated manuscripts and contemporary Western culture. They talk about their close bond and identifying as 'twindividuals'.Adeline Vining found a vintage Dior dress belonging to her grandmother in a suitcase in the attic. When she posted a TikTok of herself wearing the dress, she went viral. Fashion historians got involved, suggesting the dress was made by Christian Dior himself, and estimating its worth at £35,000. The discovery also helped Adeline uncover the story of her grandmother's life. Lesley Pearse has been a bestselling novelist for many years, and has lived an extraordinary life. After spending time in an orphanage, she found herself working as a bunny girl in Soho in her teens. When she became pregnant she was forced to give her son up for adoption. Years later she has reconnected with her son, and discovered the huge family she never knew she had. Also we have the Inheritance Tracks of producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold, who chooses Elvis Presley's Rubberneckin' and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Fisherman's Friends: One and All is in cinemas from 19th August.The Singh Twins' exhibition ‘Slaves of Fashion’ is on at FirstSite in Colchester until 11th September. Lesley Pearse's latest novel Deception is available now. Producer: Tim Bano

8/6/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 49 seconds

Doon Mackichan joins Nikki Bedi and Rev Richard Coles. The actor, writer and comedian – and double Emmy winner - talks about her latest comedy role set in a suburban street in Glasgow, how she did impressions to avoid the school bullies and her love of wild swimming.Loree Draude is one of the first women to fly combat jets in the U.S. Navy. She switched to start-ups in Silicon Valley, rediscovered her love of theatre and now has a one-woman show.Matt Rowland Hill grew up the son of a minister in an evangelical Christian church in South Wales, then lost his faith in his late teens and began his search for salvation elsewhere, turning to books and then to alcohol and drugs.Carol Kirkwood shares her Inheritance Tracks – Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys and Love Will Keep Us Alive by The Eagles.Mike Gayle was the first man to win Romantic Fiction’s top award and was an Agony Uncle for girls’ teen magazine Bliss before becoming a novelist.Two Doors Down is BBC Two on Tuesday nights at 10pm, and all five series are available to watch on the BBC iplayer.Loree Draude’s show, I Feel the Need runs from 4th to 27th August at the Assembly Rooms - Powder Room in Edinburgh. Matt Rowland Hill’s memoir, Original Sins is published by Chatto & Windus.Mike Gayle’s book, The Museum of Ordinary People is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Richard Hooper

7/30/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 19 seconds

Robert Peston joins Nikki Bedi and Peter Curran. Whilst keeping very busy as ITV News' Political Editor, Robert Peston has written his debut novel. He talks about the memories it triggered, career highlights and passions outside work.Listener Gerry Wright got in touch to talk about the significance of sailing for her family, and a particularly poignant bedside trip with her mother.Ben Aldridge used to suffer from severe anxiety until he used the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism to get outside his comfort zone – challenges he set himself included running a marathon in his garden and climbing Everest on his stairs during lockdown. Noma Dumezweni shares her Inheritance Tracks: Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba and O-o-h Child by Five Stairsteps. Michael Spicer is best known as the cynical and world-weary political advisor character in ‘The Room Next Door’ sketches. Michael spent decades writing in his spare time whilst doing unfulfilling jobs to pay the bills, leading to a double life when he got internet fame.The Whistleblower by Robert Peston is out now.How To Control The Uncontrollable by Ben Aldridge is out now.Noma Dumezweni is in A Doll’s House, Part 2 which runs at London’s Donmar Warehouse until the 6 August. Michael Spicer's Edinburgh show The Room Next Door runs from the 19th to the 28th of August at Assembly George Square Studios - Studio One. Producer: Claire Bartleet

7/23/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray are joined by Delia Smith CH CBE, first known for teaching cookery skills on TV and in her books in a no-nonsense style. 50 years worth of recipes later, she is now sharing her thoughts on spirituality. Liv Thorne wanted a baby, but she was single. Instead of hanging around waiting for Mr Right, she took things into her own hands and bought some sperm, having her son in 2018. Keen to reduce stigma surrounding such choices, she documented her experience and found that revisiting her past, in particular the loss of both her parents when she was a teen, helped her understand why she had struggled maintaining a relationship. She joins us.A passion for Grime has fuelled Roony “risky” Keefe’s career, first making documentaries about the subject and then music videos for Skepta amongst others, picking up praise from Drake on the way. He also works as a London cabbie, doing the infamous “knowledge” in less than the requisite 4 years. He joins us.We also have Ed Patrick - NHS doctor by day, comedian by night and author wherever he can find the time. He uses comedy to help find balance in his life as an anaesthetist. We have the Inheritance Tracks of actor James Buckley who chooses God Only Knows by the Beach Boys and Time For Heroes by The Libertines and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

7/16/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 56 seconds

Eddie Hearn joins Nikki Bedi and Rev. Richard Coles. One of the biggest boxing promoters in the world, Eddie represents some of the biggest names in the sport, including Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor. He talks about what drives him to succeed and the biggest challenges he’s faced.This weekend is the Llangollen Eisteddfod, an international music and dance festival in North Wales, which has been running since 1949. In 1956, when she was 15, Myron Lloyd entered the Welsh singing competition in a traditional costume and had her photograph taken. She thought nothing of it, until a few years later, when she discovered she’d become famous all over Wales, and beyond.Hip Hop educator Breis grew up in London and Lagos. Music helped him readjust after moving countries. Rather than entering the corporate world after gaining a maths degree, Breis has continued to pursue his passions, creating music and publishing books, including Diary of a Creative Mind.Louis Theroux chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Janie Jones by The Clash and Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) by Al Green.Harpreet Chandi MBE, also known as ‘Polar Preet,’ talks about creating history by becoming the first woman of colour to complete an unsupported solo expedition to the South Pole.Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev are meeting for a second time for a boxing rematch at The O2 on Saturday 9 July 2022.Theroux the Keyhole by Louis Theroux is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

7/9/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 21 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles meet Baroness Floella Benjamin - who became a household name in the mid 70s and 80s as the host of Playschool. She came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation from Trinidad and as well as TV presenting, she is a successful actor, writer and producer, a working peer and advocate for the welfare and education of Children, she is also a Dame and an OBE.We also have Aled Haydn Jones - the current head of radio 1 - who has spoken out about his rollercoaster journey to be a Dad, via a surrogate.Vashti Bunyan was an aspiring pop musician in the late 60s when she walked away from potential fame, and took a horse and cart to Scotland. Years later she searched online to realise she had a cult following. She joins us.Daniel Biddle was the most seriously injured survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks in London in 2015. He tells us of his journey since, physically back to the site of the attack, but also in developing opportunities for disabled people in the workplace.For her Inheritance Tracks, crime writer Karin Slaughter chooses You May be Right by Billy Joel and We Got the Beat by the Go-Gos,and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

7/2/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

Barbara Charone joins Nikki Bedi and Rev. Richard Coles. Barbara has been called the UK’s most powerful music PR and has launched the careers of artists including Madonna. She talks about growing up in Chicago, her role in the music industry and also finding time for football.Listener and writer Isabel Wolff got in touch to talk about the day her family saved Harold Wilson from drowning.Labi Siffre shares his Inheritance Tracks: Sail Away by Randy Newman and Il Canto sung by Luciano Pavarotti.Pope Lonergan is a stand-up comedian who spent ten years looking after the elderly. He talks about his experiences as a care worker and why he decided to bring his tour to care homes.Access All Areas by Barbara Charone is out now. Photo credit: Richard Young.I’ll Die After Bingo by Pope Lonergan is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

6/25/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 37 seconds

Gyles Brandreth joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The writer, broadcaster and former MP talks about his life, varied career and why he’s still trying to please his parents.Felicity Cloake shares her experiences of cycling around the UK sampling breakfasts.Actor James Nesbitt chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Stardust by Nat King Cole and Star of the County Down by Van Morrison and The Chieftains.Ronnie Archer-Morgan discovered a love of objects when he was a boy; his passions helped him when growing up and led to him becoming an expert on Antiques Roadshow.Odd Boy Out by Gyles Brandreth is out now.Red Sauce Brown Sauce by Felicity Cloake is out now.Would It Surprise You To Know...? by Ronnie Archer-Morgan with Janet Gleeson is out the 23rd June.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

6/18/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by actor Minnie Driver who talks about her life, career and the lesson’s she’s learnt from her life so far.We also have Pearl Lowe, the former singer, ex-party girl and recovered addict on her regrets and living in the moment. Actor, director and writer Denis Lawson is perhaps best known for his appearances in classic films such the original “Star Wars” trilogy, but he has years of experience in the West End as a musical theatre actor, winning an Olivier Award for his performance in “Mr Cinders”. He joins us.Listener Michael Pincher contacted Saturday Live about his brush with a whale bigger than his boat in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, and the eventual return of the log book from the life changing sailing trip he took 47 years before. Technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Carl Davis, Last Train to Tomorrow and Bach Brandenburg concerto, Number 5. And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

6/11/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 8 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Adil Ray are joined by actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon. After finding fame playing dimwitted Father Dougal in Father Ted, Ardal went on to star in many more successful series including My Hero and Death in Paradise. Meanwhile he found time to write a critically acclaimed novel while continuing to tour his stand up comedy. Now he has written a new novel, Brouhaha, set in a small border town in Ireland.With the Jubilee weekend celebrations well underway, Shabnam Russo talks to Nikki and Adil about her creation for the pudding competition, a rose falooda cake, which made it through to the finals. Penny Harrison's husband was struggling to find a flight back home for the birth of his son Paul, until none other than the Queen offered him a lift on her private flight. He made it back in time, and many years later Paul had a chance to thank the Queen in person. Penny and Paul join us in the studio.And Mark Constantine tells us about his extraordinary journey from homelessness aged 16 to founding cosmetics company Lush.Actor Dame Sheila Hanco*ck chooses her Inheritance Tracks - Dame Vera Lynn's White Cliffs of Dover and Nina Simone's Feeling Good - plus we have a thank you from one of our listeners.(Photo credit: Mark Nixon)Producer: Tim Bano

6/4/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 15 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Mobeen Azhar are joined by DJ Fat Tony, who first found fame in the 80s and has played for everyone from Prince and Madonna to Royalty. After 28 years of hedonism, Tony found himself homeless and dying from addiction but he’s now over 15 years sober, in demand as a DJ and working to help others. We also have Angela Hartnett MBE, the Michelin starred chef who's written cookbooks, judged on BBC’s Best Home Cook and a has passion for good, honest food with the best ingredients possible.Football manager and former player Carlo Ancelotti has navigated Real Madrid to the face Liverpool in the Champions League final tonight. So what’s his secret?Spring is in the air and so is birdsong. But how many of us know what we are listening to? We are joined by self taught birdsong expert Lucy “lapwing” Hodson who set up youtube tutorials in lockdown, she also makes props for Springwatch and knows something about Larks. She joins us. Opera singer Brindley Sherratt chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Beethoven: Fidelio, Mir ist so wunderbar and The Carpenters: We’ve Only Just Begun (photo credit Gerard Collett). And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

5/28/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds

Tom Felton joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. After acting in a local theatre group aged 6, Tom gained worldwide fame as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series and has recently made his West End stage debut.After surviving cancer and a stroke, listener Briony Maclean got in touch to talk about how she became a model, gaining a new lease of life and a confidence boost.Wynne Evans’ childhood was the focus of the film Save the Cinema, starring Tom Felton. He’s a professional opera singer with over 25 years’ experience but it was an advert that turned out to be life-changing.Shobna Gulati chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko by Asha Bhosle and Mohammed Rafi and To Zion by Lauryn Hill.Broadcaster, screenwriter and author Tom Bradby talks about his life and career, the inspiration behind his fiction and his obsession with history.Tom Felton is currently in 2:22: A Ghost Story which runs at the criterion theatre until 4th September. He's also playing Guy Fawkes in The Gunpowder Plot which opens on the 20th May in Tower Vaults at the Tower of London. And the film Burrial will be released later this year. The Rise and Fall of Little Voice starring Shobna Gulati is touring the UK until the 16th July. Yesterday’s Spy by Tom Bradby is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

5/21/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 10 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by comedian Geoff Norcott who has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Mash Report, Mock the Week and Question Time, had sell-out Edinburgh runs and two national tours. He is also a rare breed in comedy – a “right wing comedian”. We also have singer and actor Marisha Wallace who is a Broadway and West End sensation. Born and raised in a small town in North Carolina, Marisha has done it all, from tap dancing at the Tonys to nannying for Philip Seymour Hoffman to performing at the Queen at the Royal Variety Show.Hilary Wynter was a child when, in 1972, she was involved in a terrible accident at the Big dipper in Battersea park where five children died, she tells us of her memories.Shay Doyle worked as an undercover police officer, tackling some of the criminals he grew up with in Manchester, he joins us.Columnist and broadcaster Grace Dent chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood's Jackson, and Human League, Being Boiled.Producer: Corinna Jones

5/14/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Kate Nash joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The singer and actress talks about why going back on tour is so important, the steps taken to achieve longevity in the music industry, the 15th anniversary of her debut album Made of Bricks and life in LA.Anna Kilpatrick's life changed dramatically after her husband had a stroke age 38. She's now an advocate for making the best of what you have, and living well with less.Matt Whyman has trouble saying no. When asked to be an agony uncle, he said yes, despite having no experience whatsoever. Matt’s stint as Bliss Magazine’s Love Doctor lasted 18 years. His inability to say no also led to his garden being destroyed by pet pigs and his time consumed with the desire to run ultramarathons.Dan Gillespie Sells shares his Inheritance Tracks: City of Dreams by Talking Heads and Together Again by Janet Jackson.Emma Kennedy is a best-selling author and TV writer, actor and presenter. Following the death of her mother, Emma found letters that her mother Brenda had written to her. They helped Emma understand her mother better – someone she had always had a complicated relationship with.Kate Nash's UK tour starts on May 23rd in Brighton and then continues at various venues until the 1st June, in Birmingham. More details at katenash.comFailure is an Option by Matt Whyman is out now.The Feelings’ new album, Love. Hope. Loss is released on 6th May. They are touring the UK in October this year. Letters From Brenda by Emma Kennedy is published on the 12th May.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

5/7/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 27 seconds

Sara Davies MBE joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The Dragons' Den investor started her multi-million pound business as a student and topped the leaderboard during her time on Strictly Come Dancing. Sara talks about her path to success and passion for crafting.Five years ago Jonny Cotsen decided to explore his deaf identity, after a life of adapting to be part of the hearing world. Aqualified graphic designer and teacher, Jonny alsochanged careers to pursue his childhood ambition of performing.Catherine Carr and her siblings were separated as children. Now, with relationships repaired and large bodies of water having passed under the bridge, Catherine is still fascinated by sibling relationships of all shapes and sizes. Gary Wilmot shares his Inheritance Tracks: Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin and Summer Breeze performed by The Isley Brothers.Tayshan Hayden-Smith was nicknamed 'the English Neymar' as a talented teenage footballer. But becoming a dad at 17, losing his mum in his early 20s and the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire have all played a part in him taking a completely different path. Now, at the age of 24, he is a garden designer and soon to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show.We Can All Make It by Sara Davies is out now.Jonny Cotsen's film Born Deaf Raised Hearing is on BBC One on May 6th at 7.30pm (8pm in Wales), and then available via the BBC iPlayer.Catherine Carr's Relatively Podcast is available now.Gary Wilmot is in Wicked which is booking until 27 November 2022 at the Victoria Apollo Theatre in London.Tayshan Hayden-Smith is making his debut at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, with Grow2Know.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

4/30/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Will Young joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The singer, writer and podcaster shot to fame 20 years ago after winning the first series of Pop Idol. Seven albums, four Number One’s, 10 million record sales and two Brit Awards later, he is now a leading voice in mental health awareness, particularly in the LGBTQ community. Steve Thompson MBE is a 2003 World Cup winner and has been England’s most capped hooker in the sport of rugby union. He was recently diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Harriet Atkinson received an email out of the blue from a stranger, Bridget Mckenzie, to say that she owned a photograph album that she thought belonged to Harriet’s family. Jess Gillam shares her Inheritance Tracks: Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys and Stars by Nina Simone Live at Montreux 1976.Paul Hunter is a life-long Aston Villa fan. Back in 1982, Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich to win the European Cup. Around the same time, 16 year old Paul was told he wouldn’t amount to anything by one of his teachers. It’s the tale of two underdogs triumphing. Will’s book Be Yourself and Happier – The A-Z of Wellbeing – is published by Ebury Spotlight. His album of Greatest Hits is out in May and a UK tour in the autumn. Steve’s book, Unforgettable: Rugby, dementia and the fight of my life is published by Blink Publishing.Would You Bet Against Us? – written and performed by Paul and Told By An Idiot theatre company is at The Birmingham Rep from 19th May until 4th June 2022.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Alice Feinstein

4/23/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Paul Sinha joins Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens. The former doctor turned stand-up comedian is also a star quizzer on The Chase. He talks about his life, career and recent Parkinson’s diagnosis.Listener Cheryl Underhill got in touch to tell us about discovering a box of her parents’ wartime love letters soon after her mother died in 2013, and why it took her seven years to look at them.Hannah Bourne-Taylor let a bronze-winged mannikin finch nest in her hair for 84 days. The process of caring for the rescued baby bird also helped Hannah's mental health.Milton Jones shares his Inheritance Tracks: London Calling by The Clash and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2.Carrie Hope Fletcher is a Grammy nominated singer, actress, author and vlogger. After discovering a love of theatre age 3, she made her professional debut age 5 and is currently starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz starts at 18:30 on Thursday 21 April on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.The Box of Beautiful Letters by Cheryl Underhill is out now.Fledgling by Hannah Bourne-Taylor is out now.Milton Jones' Milton Impossible tour travels around the UK from 17th May. Photo Credit: Aemen Sukkar@JiksawWith This Kiss by Carrie Hope Fletcher is out now. Carrie is also currently starring in Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London.Producer: Tim BanoEditor: Richard Hooper

4/16/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 37 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Al Murray, best known as The Pub Landlord, he’s also a history buff with a super successful World War II podcast, and he plays the drums. Alexandra Heminsley found life shifted following a difficult pregnancy, sexual assault and her partner telling her she was going to transition. She joins us.We also have Saturday Live listener, Doris Remnant, who was seven years old when her family were forced to flee Cairo in 1957 during the Suez conflict. They arrived in France as refugees, with little belongings, to start a new life. Justin Webb is the longest serving presenter of the Today programme. In his almost 4 decades of journalism he has worked as Europe correspondent, war correspondent and chief correspondent in Washington DC. He reveals his complicated and unconventional childhood. Patrick Gale chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Kathleen Ferrier singing The Keel Row & Mendelssohn piano trio in C minor.and your thank you!Producer Corinna Jones

4/9/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Patrick Kielty joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The award winning stand-up and broadcaster talks about growing up in Northern Ireland, his path to comedy and making his screen acting debut.Bestselling novelist Amy Bloom turns to memoir as she recounts the journey she and her husband took to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.Pioneering priest Reverend Doctor Ellen Clark-King will talk about learning to sing, after decades of being ashamed of her voice.Craig Revel Horwood shares his Inheritance Tracks.Les Child teaches elegance and poise to models and shared his choreography skills with musicians including the Pet Shop Boys and the Rolling Stones. But before this he was busy creating Britain's first vogue house and working as a principal dancer with the pioneering Michael Clark Company.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard HooperPatrick Kielty's stand-up tour Borderline runs from April 21st starting in Ballymena, reaching Nottingham on the 11th May and then continues until 2nd July.In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom is out now.Anyone Can Sing, featuring Reverend Doctor Ellen Clark-King, airs on Wednesdays at 8pm on Sky Arts.Craig Revel Horwood: The All Balls and Glitter Tour continues in Cardiff on the 3rd April and runs in venues around the UK until 27th May.

4/2/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

Suzy Klein and Huw Stephens are joined by actor, comedian and entertainer Les Dennis as he hosts a tribute to his friend Barry Cryer.Kat Farmer left a lucrative city job after she had kids and was unsure what to do next. She rediscovered a love of fashion and it’s ability to reinvent, and embraced the digital age, starting a blog, "Does my bum look 40 in this?" and becoming an online influencer. She now works as a stylist, for personal clients and on TV. She joins us.Saturday Live listener Martyn Bradley was aged 12 when, at a family party, his great grandfather gave all his great grandchildren a pocket watch, except him, on the grounds that he was adopted. It was the first he had heard about it. He tells us what happened next. We have Comedian Zoe Lyons on going from Survivor into stand up, and alopecia, and the inheritance tracks of Donna Leon, she chooses Carolyn Watkinson singing “Oh thou that telleth good tidings to Zionz' from Handel’s Messiah and Joyce DiDonato singing “As with Rosy steps the morn” from Handel’s Theodora.Plus, your thank you! Producer: Corinna Jones

3/26/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 46 seconds

Siobhán McSweeney joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The actor talks Derry Girls, the significance of going back to West Cork for her latest role and manifesting her Great British Pottery Throwdown gig. Gary Stevenson became a very successful City trader but he explains why he left to become an inequality economist.Listener Stefan Jennings got in touch and shares how finding his chef father’s journal revealed a dad he never knew.Andrew Garfield chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Just a Gigolo by Louis Prima and Vincent by Don McLean.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Alice FeinsteinHolding continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV and all four episodes are available on ITV Hub.Andrew Garfield stars in tick, tick…BOOM! which is available to stream now on Netflix.

3/19/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 10 seconds

Richard Coles and Andrea Catherwood are joined by comedian Paul Merton: stalwart on Have I got News for You and Just a Minute, he's an impro pro. We hear one woman’s story of how building a toilet - using a chainsaw - helped her find herself. Siri Heller joins us.Guest Patrick Foster estimates that he placed a total of £4million on bets over the course of 12 years. The former professional cricketer turned teacher hid his gambling addiction until everything unravelled in 2018. Adventurer Elise Wortley decided to recreate the journeys of forgotten female explorers, using only the means they used at the time. And photographer Rankin chooses his inheritance tracks: English Rose by The Jam and Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stonesand your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

3/12/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 35 seconds

Marcus Wareing joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The award-winning chef, food writer, restauranteur and judge on MasterChef: The Professionals is now learning new skills as he produces food on his small holding in East Sussex.Ellie Pacey is a former British Tractor Pulling champion who has recently taken part in BBC 3’s The Fast and the Farmer-ish. She’s also a Formula 1 apprentice test technician and has been a Miss England finalist.Tulsi Vagjiani survived a plane crash which killed her parents and younger brother in 1990. She underwent more than 50 operations to repair facial burns. Going through this extraordinary ordeal would eventually set her on a path to becoming a campaigner for those with visible differences. She’s now a motivational speaker, never happier than when she is giving talks in schools.Trisha Goddard shares her Inheritance Tracks: I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 and Say Ladeo by Bobby McFerrin.Andy McCluskey founded Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark with a school friend. The band have sold over 25 million singles and 15 million albums. But Andy’s first love was art. He explains why he’s a devoted collector of Maurice Wade, and why sharing his work is important.Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden continues Monday to Friday on BBC 2 at 6.30pm. And you can watch any episodes you’ve missed via the iPlayer.Trisha Goddard presents You Are What You Eat,the full series is available on My5 and there’s also a companion book.Maurice Wade, Silent Landscapes - The Andy McCluskey Collection opens Friday 25th March at Trent Art Gallery, Newcastle under Lyme.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

3/5/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 28 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Anoushka Shankar who started playing the Sitar when she was 9, secured a recording contract aged sixteen and has been nominated for 7 Grammy awards. She is the musical successor to her father the world renowned musician Ravi Shankar, and is celebrating his life and achievements.Harry Parker's life changed overnight when he lost his legs to an IED in Afghanistan. He talks rebuilding his life, identity and the impact of technology.Maddy Lucy Dann is a junior doctor who turned to social media platform, TikTok to cheer herself up during the pandemic. Her self-deprecating manner, quick wit and resemblance to the comic character Miranda earned her legions of followers and has led to a fledgling parallel career as a stand-up. Giles Kristian is now a writer but during the 90s he auditioned and won the role of lead singer of pop group Upside Down, achieving four top twenty hit records, performing on Top of the Pops as well as at the Royal Albert Hall, N.E.C. and Wembley Arena, and playing concerts on the same bill as such artists as The Spice Girls, Take That, The Backstreet Boys and Eric Clapton.We also have the inheritance tracks from actor Paterson Joseph who chooses In Loving You Junior English and Better Get it in Your Soul by Charles Mingusand your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

2/26/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 37 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Rose Matafeo, comedian and star of BBC Three’s romantic comedy, Starstruck, who grew up in New Zealand and did her first stand up gig as a teenager. Magnus Hanson-Heine will be telling us what it was like growing up in a house with a model shark on its roof in Oxford. Nathaniel Hall kept a secret from his family for fifteen years – that he was HIV positive, after his first sexual experience.And boxer Nicola Barke, aka The Burmese Python, on overcoming a sleeping disorder to become a world Taekwondo champion and kickboxer. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of the DJ Annie Nightingale CBE, who chooses Many A New Day from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma and Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and The Wailers.And your thank you.Producer: Annette Wells

2/19/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 20 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles start your weekend with: DJ and producer Naughty Boy whose Deal or No Deal win funded his music career, and now he numbers Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sande among his collaborators. Photographer and meat-free living advocate Mary McCartney who found fame as a baby when she appeared on the cover of her dad Paul McCartney's first solo album, and since then has become an acclaimed photographer as well as the co-founder of Meat Free Mondays. Elise Christie, world champion speed skater and Olympic athlete. In a new memoir she recounts her successes, and the incredibly tough moments in her life that led her to retire aged 31. Anthea Allen, the critical care nurse who asked for biscuits and started a movement. At the height of lockdown in May 2020 while working at St George's Hospital she emailed her neighbours asking for sweet treats to keep her colleagues going. She was inundated with replies and soon her weekly newsletter, full of stories from the frontline, became essential reading and an organisation was set up to support NHS staff. Newsreader and Mastermind host picks his Inheritance Tracks.If you have been affected by any of the issues in the programme you can find information and support on BBC Action Line www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.Producer: Tim Bano

2/12/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 22 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Keith Brymer Jones, master potter, judge on the Throw Down, who used to be in a band called the Wigs, gets emotional about ceramics and has helped to revive the profile of clay.Cleo Sylvestre was the first black actor in a leading role at the National Theatre but not before she had had the Rolling Stones backing her on a track. She joins us.Kevin Quinn was a marathon runner before he realised that he had four holes in his heart. He had an operation and was running 12 weeks later and has since came first in a virtual marathon during Lockdown. Laura Galloway moved from New York to spend six years in a small town of 100 people in the Arctic Tundra after finding out in a DNA test that she had Sami ancestry.and Music journalist Clemency Burton-Hill chooses Ella Fitzgerald performing Willow Weep for Me and Max Richter reworking of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Spring 3And your Thank you.Producer Corinna Jones

2/5/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 28 seconds

Claire Sweeney joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The actress, singer, dancer and TV presenter Claire Sweeney made her professional singing debut age 14 and her varied career includes playing Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside and performing alongside Patrick Swayze in the West End. Rory O’Grady turned detective to document the final journey of his older brother and the passengers who died alongside him in a mid-air collision over Italy in 1958. Rory talks about the significance of finding family members.Rajinder Singh came to prominence as the Skipping Sikh during lockdown. He was awarded an MBE last year and has inspired his daughter Minreet Kaur to live a healthier life.Neil Morrissey shares his Inheritance Tracks: Ray Stevens, The Streak and Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire.Laura Willoughby MBE decided to give up drinking almost 10 years ago. She explains how it transformed her life and career. Claire Sweeney is playing Violet Newstead in the UK tour of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical until 5th March 2022.The Flight of the Arctic Fox by Rory O’Grady is out now.The fourth series of The Good Karma Hospital starring Neil Morrissey continues on Sunday at 8pm on ITV. Club Soda's alcohol free off-licence in central London is open until 27th February.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

1/29/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Vicky McClure, star of Line of Duty and This Is England. Her latest role is in a new drama on bomb disposal, keeping us on the edge of our sofas. We also have Helen Naylor who grew up believing that her mother had a chronic health condition that made her so exhausted she had to spend most of her time in bed. After her mother's death she found her diaries which told a different story. Listener Liz Ashworth emailed us about her mission to keeping traditional Scottish food alive: she wrote cook books for bairns and joins us ahead of Burns night on Tuesday! We also have Osman Yousefzada, the son of Pakistani-Afghan migrants who settled in Birmingham. As a child, he was able to inhabit his mother’s world where women gathered behind a curtain to sew and talk, separated from the men. Osman has became an artist himself, designing clothes for Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Sir Kenneth Branagh gives us his inheritance tracks - he chooses Cyprus Avenue by Van Morrison and Rio by Michael Nesmith. and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

1/22/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher trained as an actor, but with several bestselling novels under her belt and her hit podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby featuring guests stars such as the duch*ess of Cambridge, she has had little time to take to the stage in recent years. Now she stars in the West End in Danny Robins's terrifying new play 2.22 A Ghost Story at London's Gielgud Theatre.During lockdown, Femi Fadugba's debut novel, which combines his expertise in quantum physics with a thrilling time travel story set in Peckham, became a bestseller and was quickly snapped up by Netflix for a film adaptation. Ben Norris combines his skills as a poet, actor and playwright in The Choir of Man, a new feelgood show in the West End, which uses hits by the likes of Sia and and Guns'n'Roses to celebrate the power of community.After an incredible story from listener Helen Kirkham on last week's show about the devastating accident that almost took her life, we reunite Helen with someone very special.Darling Buds of May, Matilda and Call the Midwife actor Pam Ferris chooses her Inheritance Tracks: You Are My Heart's Delight by Richard Tauber and Bonde by Ali Farka Toure with Ry Cooder.And we have a Thank You from Topsy Kennedy.Producer: Tim Bano

1/15/2022 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Rev Richard Coles are joined by actor Ralf Little who first appeared on our screens as the awkward Antony in the Royle Family, went on to star in Two Pints and a packet of crisps, and now Death in Paradise.Legendary football manager Brian Clough took our guest Craig Bromfield under his wing as a troubled youngster but their relationship ended when Craig betrayed Brian and never saw him again. Craig has written about his experience to make sense of what he did and why he did it.Helen Kirkham is a Saturday Live listener who had a road accident as a teen and later trained to be a nurse. She attended a lecture by the doctor who saved her life.Sports reporter Emma John who is a cricket fan, a bluegrass fiddler and singledom advocate. Andy Summers, guitarist with The Police, chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Manha de Carnaval from the film Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa and West Coast Blues by Wes Montgomery and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

1/8/2022 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Sarah Parish joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. Best known for her work in Mistresses, W1A , Broadchurch and Bancroft, Sarah talks about her career, including her latest project which is a crime thriller, and the charity she co-founded with her husband in memory of their first daughter.Supriya Nagarajan explains why she gave up a successful banking career to become a musician.Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton talks about being homeless as a teenager and how it inspired her career, she's the chief fire officer at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.Matt Goss shares his Inheritance Tracks: Your Song by Elton John and Piano Man by Billy Joel.Aldo Kane has been inside an active volcano more than once and met his wife in one too. The former Royal Marines sniper talks about his life and experiences.Sarah Parish can be seen in Stay Close, which is available on Netflix from the 31st December.Supriya Nagarajan: Mapping the Music is at The Hepworth Wakefield on 19th February.The Heat of The Moment by Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is out now.The Beautiful Unknown by Matt Goss is out in spring 2022.Lessons From the Edge by Aldo Kane is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

1/1/2022 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 59 seconds

In this festive edition of Saturday Live, Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by the actor Mark Strong, who has made a name playing villains in some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, including Sherlock Holmes, Shazam and Cruella. He drops by to talk about darkly comic medical drama Temple. Comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri discusses her journey from homelessness to being one of the most exciting stand up comedians in the country. We hear about your new Christmas traditions, from socially distanced carol concerts to Christmas day curries. Plus we hear the Inheritance Tracks of 'what I call' national treasure Patricia Hodge.Producer: Tim Bano

12/25/2021 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds

Comedian, writer and entertainer Julian Clary joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to talk about the lure of the pantomime and how his love of dogs has changed his life.Maria Sodahl, who received a likely-terminal cancer diagnosis just before Christmas nine years ago, on how she has turned her experience into the film Hope.Nathan Evans, the former postman who went viral on Tik Tok with his rendition of the sea shanty, Wellerman. And food historian Annie Gray will be taking us on a trip through time, from the familiarity of plum pudding and mince pies to the extravagance of boar's head and brawn. Plus, singer/songwriter Josh Groban chooses his Inheritance tracks: ‘S Wonderful by Tony Bennett (with Diana Krall) and Move on from Sunday in the Park with George sung by Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin.And your Thank you, this week from Isobel Sheppard.Producer: Annette Wells

12/18/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 7 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Mobeen Azhar are joined by Brian May, musician and astrophysicist, who played guitar on Buckingham Palace, and with the rock band Queen and is fascinated by stereoscopy AKA 3D. Also we have: journalist and broadcaster Camilla Tominey on her experiences growing up with her mother who had alcoholism. Johanna Basford joins us, she worked for years as a commercial illustrator – her work can be found on wallpaper, beer cans and even as tattoos – she had the idea of creating adult colouring books. Her books have since sold 21 million copies and been translated into 28 languages. and Bear Grylls whose latest project is to encourage adventure. Plus, comedian Mel Giedroyc chooses her Inheritance tracks: Hit me with your rhythm stick by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Sit in your lap by Kate Bush. And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

12/11/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Joanna Lumley talks to Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny about her career highlights and why her latest work is celebrating the Queen. Comedian Slim spent 15 years as a bus driver before being encouraged by a friend to try stand-up. 28 years later Slim has toured the world, won awards for his work and recently had a solo show at the London Palladium. Ben and Danielle Marsh tell the story of how their family shot to fame after they started sharing their music on social media during lockdown. Seth Lakeman shares his Inheritance Tracks: Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan and Beeswing by Richard Thompson. Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie will talk about why cleaning became so important to her, and how a chance phone call gained her public prominence.A Queen For All Seasons: A Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II on her Platinum Jubilee by Joanna Lumley is out now.Slim is at the O2 Arena with Mo Gillian + Friends on Wednesday 8th December.The Marsh Family's Bring Us A Candle/ Mack the Knife single is out now. The 15-Minute Clean: The Quickest Way to a Sparkling Home by Lynsey Crombie is out now.Seth Lakeman's latest studio album Make Your Mark is out now and he is touring the UK now.

12/4/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 12 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Monica Galetti: chef, judge on Masterchef and chef proprietor of her own restaurant, judge on the BBC programme MasterChef: The Professionals since 2009 and has presenter of Amazing Hotels... In the studio we have Raymond Antrobus, one of the most exciting and acclaimed poets working today whose journey includes discovering he was deaf aged 6 and finding his passion for writing. Royd Tolkien’s brother Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease aged 37 and very sadly died a couple of years later. Before his death, he told Royd about a bucket list he'd written for Royd to do, which included some pranks and stunts and took Royd on an emotional and physical journey. In January 2020, listener and mum of four Wendy Searle left her office job and reached the South Pole after a 42 day journey alone, dragging all her kit and food with her on a a Pulk (sled). She became only the 7th woman in the world to complete the journey. She did the journey to show that anything is possible… and now plans to go again next winter…. We also have the Inheritance Tracks of Jack Dee who chooses Downtown by Petula Clarke and Really Free byJohn Otway and Wild Willy Barratt and your Thank you.Producer is Corinna Jones

11/27/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 23 seconds

Guy Garvey joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The singer and 6 Music presenter has been making music with elbow for over three decades. He talks about the band’s achievements and the inspiration behind his lyrics.Kate London toured the UK with her own theatre company, but was inspired to become a Met Police Officer and these experiences have led to her becoming a crime writer.Jet Suit inventor Richard Browning has been called the real life Iron Man. He talks about his work, taking the plunge to pursue his passion, and what it's like to fly.Hannah co*ckroft MBE shares her Inheritance Tracks: You To Me Are Everything by The Real Thing and The Scientist by Coldplay.Paul Whitehouse made his award-winning mark on comedy in shows such as The Fast Show and is now starring in Only Fools and Horses The Musical, which he co-wrote. Paul talks about taking a much loved sitcom to the stage, health and going fishing with Bob Mortimer.Elbow’s latest album Flying Dream 1 is out now. Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour on 6 Music from 2pm on Sunday.The Tower, adapted from Kate London's debut novel, is available to watch on the ITV Hub.Taking on Gravity: A Guide to Inventing the Impossible from the Man Who Learned to Fly is out nowOnly Fools and Horses The Musical is booking until 26 February 2022Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Alice Feinstein

11/20/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Evanna Lynch who was a Harry Potter superfan who developed anorexia aged 11. Whilst having treatment, her beloved Harry Potter books provided an escape, particularly the dreamy, independent character of Luna Lovegood in the fifth book. When the film came around amazingly she won the role, and Evanna played Luna for the remaining four films. She joins us. A few years ago, Hamza Yassin went on holiday to a remote Scottish peninsula. He never left. He is now an acclaimed wildlife cameraman who loves to spread his enthusiasm for the natural world with a series on CBeebies and a new series on More4. Asma Elbadawi led a four-year campaign to overturn a ban on hijabs in women’s basketball. Now a performance poet, she joins us.In 2016, vet Rob Pope decided to to copy Forrest Gump and run across America. During his journey Pope became the living embodiment of the Tom Hanks character: long scraggly beard, Bubba Gump’s baseball hat and all. By the time he finished, 422 days later, he’d crossed the United States more than four times, covering a distance in excess of 25,000km – the equivalent of 600 marathons – and become the first person to trace the whole Gump route.Lady Anne Glenconner chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, The Platters and Nimrod, Edward Elgar, and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

11/13/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 18 seconds

Jimmy Carr joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. After deciding to pursue a comedy career in his mid-twenties Jimmy has now toured the world as a stand up and is a household name thanks to programmes such as Channel 4’s 8 out of 10 Cats. Jimmy talks about the power of laughter and how it's transformed his life.Natalie Cumming tells the incredible story of her family's violin.Dr Richard Shepherd has been a forensic pathologist for over 30 years and has been involved in the investigation of over 23,000 cases, including 9/11 and the Bali bombings. He discusses what drew him to his career and the impact his work has had, personally and psychologically.Miriam Margolyes shares her Inheritance Tracks: MacCrimmon’s Lament sang by Jeannie Robertson and Cecilia Bartoli singing the aria Agitata Da Due Venti by Vivaldi.Julie Fowlis is an award-winning Gaelic singer and musician. Growing up in North Uist, her native landscape influences her work. She's had global success, singing on the soundtrack of Hollywood blockbuster Brave and performing at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but Julie explains that she never intended to be a performer.Jimmy Carr’s Before and Laughter is out now.The Fiddle by Natalie Cumming is out now.The Seven Ages of Death by Dr Richard Shepherd is out now.This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes is out now.Julie Fowlis is part of the Voices Unwrapped festival next year at King’s Place in London. Her first performance which launches the festival will be on January 14th.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/6/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 32 seconds

Daisy May Cooper, the comedy actor and writer joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to talk about how her life growing up in rural Gloucestershire inspired the BBC Three mockumentary-style, This Country. Thomas Leeds also joins us. He was left with no memories of his childhood after a car accident, until an iconic 80s song suddenly unlocked memories that had been lost for years. When Jacob Mitchell aka MC Grammar, a teacher from north London, posted a video of himself rapping The Gruffalo to his four-year-old daughter, it went viral and he’s now teaching kids amazing facts through rap. TV stars Dick and Angel Strawbridge bought a dilapidated chateau in the Pays de la Loire in France and have spent the last few years transforming it into a sustainable business as well as a home for them and their two children.We have the Inheritance tracks of DJ Pete Tong who chooses Jingo performed by Santana and What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye. And your Thank you. Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/30/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 6 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by award winning comedian and lover of all things random, Ross Noble, who has 16 nationwide comedy tours under his belt, is a regular panellist on comedy shows and currently to be seen on iplayer on The Apprentice Australia. Paralympian sprinter Libby Clegg has won nine major gold medals, including two at the at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio for the 100m and 200m and she is the first blind contestant on Dancing On Ice. She joins us.Listener Georgia Naish got in touch about the significance of an object she inherited, a Spanish fan that her grandad brought back from his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Scottish tenor Nicky Spence won a prestigious record deal aged 22, but he recognised that it wasn’t quite the path he wanted for himself, and he returned to his training, going on to become an inaugural Harwood Young Artist at English National Opera. We have the Inheritance tracks of John Barnes who chooses You’ll never walk alone performed by Shirley Jones and Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness.And your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

10/23/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Tom Daley joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. Tom fulfilled his Olympic dream this year, becoming the most decorated British diver of all time. He talks about the challenges he’s faced, the lessons learnt, passion for knitting and his proudest achievement so far.Listener Alexis Roxburgh shares his paragliding stories.Anne-Marie is a West End child star turned multi-platinum-selling artist and The Voice coach, who also found time to be a karate World Champion. But despite success, the singer struggled until recently to find true happiness and confidence.Bobby Gillespie shares his Inheritance Tracks: The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by June Tabor, and Joe Hill by The Dubliners.Ann Shaw talks about spending over 4 years in the Craig-Y-Nos TB sanatorium in Wales as a child, and connecting with fellow survivors as an adult.Coming Up for Air by Tom Daley is out now.You Deserve Better  by Anne-Marie is out now.Tenement Kid by Bobby Gillespie is out now. The Children of Craig-Y-Nos by Ann Shaw is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/16/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 47 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Sir Lenny Henry: comedian, actor, writer, fund raiser, he’s graced our stage and screen for almost 50 years and now he’s put his talents to writing for the next generation. Arthur Timothy is an architect turned artist whose work is inspired by photographs from the past and his own memories. He describes his paintings as love letters to his family. He joins us.We have Paula Sutton who worked in fashion magazines for years before she decided to showcase her own distinctive style online in her instagram account, Hill House Vintage, which soon became her full time job. And Simon Thomas, who had a successful career first as a Blue Peter presenter then fronting Sky Sport’s Premier League football coverage. Then, in 2017, his wife died suddenly from acute myeloid leukaemia. Simon retired to care for their son, and 4 years later is reflecting on the evolution of his grief and return to work. We also have Bernadine Evaristo's Inheritance Tracks, she chooses Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole & Bridge Over Troubled Water sung by Roberta Flack, and your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

10/9/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 6 seconds

Matt Baker joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. Matt's career has taken him from Blue Peter to The One Show and Countryfile. He’s recently returned to live on his family farm and feels growing up with nature helped in all aspects of his life.Listener Jo Bradshaw is an office worked turned adventurer - who leads expeditions and was attempting to summit Everest during the earthquake of 2015.Khadijah Mellah became the first British Muslim woman to win a horse race in the UK. Age 18 she won the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood Festival. Khadijah has now launched a scholarship programme to bring more people from underrepresented communities into the sport.Robin Ince shares his Inheritance Tracks: Geoffrey Burgon's Theme from Brideshead Revisited and Batyar by The Ukrainians.Josh Widdicombe is a comedian, writer and co-presenter of the award winning Last Leg. As a child in rural Dartmoor it was watching television, rather than performing, which mattered most to him.A Year on Our Farm by Matt Baker is out now.The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity by Robin Ince is out on the 7th October.Watching Neighbours Twice a Day...How ’90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me For Life by Josh Widdicombe is out now. Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

10/2/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 28 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Henry Holland - who started his career in teen magazines but became a fashion hit in 2008 after his slogan T shirts were worn by designers Giles Deacon and Gareth Pugh at London Fashion Week, his fashion business closed last year but he has since released a hugely successful ceramics collection and is now designing rugs.There is also Ramla Ali, the first Somali boxer in history to compete at the Olympic Games,Molly Schiller who completed a Masters studying the heart disease which took her little brother’s life when he was 10, and Felix White, formerly of the Maccabees, is a musician and broadcaster who, after his Mum's death when he was 17, forged family with the band and obsessed over cricket.We have the Inheritance Tracks of sailor Hannah Mills MBE, who chooses Creep by Radiohead and A thousand trees by the Stereophonics, and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

9/25/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds

Paul Merson was one of English football’s brightest stars in the 1990s. He was capped for England 21 times and scored 99 goals for Arsenal before transferring to Middlesborough for the then highest fee ever paid by a first division team. But throughout his career, Paul waged a very public battle with addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling, as depicted in his new memoir Hooked. He talks to Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi.Jamie Laing grew up in Oxfordshire and Knightsbridge, attending prestigious public schools and moving in exclusive social circles. Despite never having had a “proper job”, Jamie has found fame in Made in Chelsea, made it to the final of Strictly Come Dancing, launched a successful confectionary brand and describes his journey in his new memoir I Can Explain.Sue Tilley was once Lucian Freud’s favoured life model and his painting of her have broken auction house records - one sold for £35 million in 2015 and another belongs to Roman Abramovich after it was snapped up for a cool £17 million. But how did a long-time manager at a central London JobCentre light up the art world? And have the millions changed Sue’s perception of her own body and life? The chance return of a box of family artefacts led listener Corinna Edwards-Colledge to trace the extraordinary history of her father Paul and uncle Roy. They were both involved the Surrealist art scene of the 50s and 60s, with her uncle living in Farley House with Roland Penrose and Lee Miller. She reveals how recovering their paintings and poetry has changed her understanding of them. And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Tez Ilyas.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

9/18/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 3 seconds

Annie Nightingale joins Nikki Bedi and Suzy Klein to talk about her 50 years in broadcasting, including being the first female DJ on Radio 1 and how her love of new music has led to her being the station's longest-serving broadcaster. Annie also explains why she owes a debt to The Beatles.Ranger Jonathan Ford explains how his love of birds took him to live in Papa Westray, one of the smallest islands in Orkney.Chef Poppy O’Toole lost her job and was inspired by her siblings to make PoppyCooks TikTok videos. She swiftly got 1.8 million followers and will talk about her new career path.Neil Oliver shares his Inheritance Tracks: La Mer by Charles Trenet and Martha by Tom Waits.Adam Andrusier was once an obsessive collector of autographs and his drive to collect signatures inspired Zadie Smith to write a story based loosely on his life. Adam’s obsession eventually turned into a profession, with roots going back to his father’s collecting habits.Hey Hi Hello: Five Decades of Pop Culture from Britain's broadcasting DJ pioneer Annie Nightingale is out now in paperback.Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need by Poppy O'Toole is out on the 16th September.The Story of the World in 100 Moments by Neil Oliver is published on the 16th of September.Two Hitlers and a Marilyn by Adam Andrusier is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

9/11/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

Mo Gilligan, host of his own Bafta winning Friday night TV show, judge on the Masked singer, a comedian with sell out tours behind him, but only 5 years ago he was working the shop floor in retail, he joins us to talk about his journey into primetime.Gavanndra Hodge's childhood was chaotic as both her parents had addiction problems, then tragedy struck and her little sister died. She reflects on loss and trauma. Simon Amstell is a writer, director and stand up comedian who first came to prominence on Popworld then later on Never Mind the Buzzco*cks. He’s since directed and written films and done stand up tours.Saturday Live listener Yvonne Hausman wrote to us about her father, a London cabbie who in the 1960s and 70s garnered a reputation in Lincoln, Nebraska for giving his customers a slap up meal on a Friday night! We have the Inheritance Tracks of writer Ann Cleeves, and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

9/4/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Bananarama – Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward - who tell us about surviving forty years in the music industry with hits including Venus, Robert De Niro’s Waiting and Cool Summer.James Ketchell has circum-navigated the world by gyrocopter, as well as single-handedly rowing the Atlantic, climbing Everest, and cycling across the world.Listener Mary Monro on retracing her father’s footsteps across China and the route he took after escaping from a Japanese prisoner of war camp in 1941. Shanaze Reade is a five-time world champion cyclist in BMX and the team sprint - and a two time Olympian. She is taking part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on Channel 4 in which 12 recruits are tested to the limit on a remote Scottish island.And the Inheritance Tracks of author Lynda La Plante, who chooses The Great Pretender by The Platters and Nessun Dorma sung by Luciano Pavarotti. Producer: Annette Wells

8/28/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 20 seconds

Actress and author Celia Imrie joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to discuss her debut non-fiction novel, set against the backdrop of the sinking of the Titanic. Celia explains her family connections to the legendary ship and talks about her love of travel and career highlights. Listener Nick Wharton got in touch about his adventures in climbing, and being reunited with his estranged father.Tom Chapman is an award-winning barber who experienced a personal tragedy that led him to create The Lions Barber Collective, a charity which aims to support mental health by offering a safe space for people to talk. Tom's also just written his debut children’s book. Singer Frankie Bridge shares her Inheritance Tracks: I Heard it Through the Grapevine sung by Marvin Gaye and Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin.Restaurant critic, MasterChef guest judge and writer Grace Dent talks about the comfort food that she enjoys when not working, and how it’s inspired her new podcast. Grace also reflects on realising her childhood ambitions and her love of the Lake District.Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie is out now.How Hard Can It Be by Nick Wharton is out now.The Mighty Lions & the Big Match by Tom Chapman is out now.GROW: Motherhood, mental health & me by Frankie Bridge is out now. New episodes of Comfort Eating with Grace Dent are released every Tuesday.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/21/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 26 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Harry Enfield, who’ll be telling us how he went from part-time milkman to BAFTA award-winning comedian, actor, writer and director, creating characters such as Tim Nice-But-Dim, Smashie and Nicey and Kevin the Teenager and how now he's playing the Prince of Wales. Catriona Rennison, who has just started as a junior doctor despite being discouraged from following a career in medicine after being treated for anorexia as a teenager.James McNicholas, is a writer and performer who’ll be telling the story of his grandfather, Terry Downes aka ‘The Paddington Express’ who held the World Middleweight Boxing title in 1961, and about his own heavyweight story of trying to live up to the champ's legacy.Nina Conti started out as a spear carrier with the RSC but after meeting the actor Ken Campbell, took up ventriloquism, and for the last twenty years she and her dummy Monkey, have played to sell-out crowds in Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, Sydney and New York. We have the Inheritance Tracks of broadcaster Emma Barnett, who chooses Cheek to Cheek by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong and The Time is Now by Moloko.And your Thank you.The Windsors: Endgame is at The Prince of Wales Theatre, LondonThe Champ & the Chump by James McNicholas is published by Headline.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/14/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Tim Vine, a comedian who eschewes the observational / confessional style, and celebrates joke telling and puns, his latest tour combines his love of music with comedy. Listener Fiona Maher grew up hearing that she had a half-brother that she’d never met. After 40 years, she finally found him. She joins us to tell us what it’s like to have a new family. Phil Manzanera has played in some of the biggest stadiums in the world as the guitarist of Roxy Music. His South American heritage is at the root of his latest work.Yazz Ahmed is a trumpeter described as “the high priestess of psychedelic Arabic Jazz”, she joins us.We have the Inheritance Tracks of actor David Thewlis, who chooses Starry Starry Night by Don McLean, and 11.59 by Blondie.And your Thank you.

8/7/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 46 seconds

Ellie Taylor joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The comedian, writer and The Mash Report newsreader talks about her path to stand-up, real life inspiration, and ruining her life in the best way possible.Listener Tom Edwards has had a successful broadcasting career but he hit rock bottom and ended up homeless. He talks about his road to recovery, and how he was helped by a well-known comedian.Mevan Babakar's family fled Iraq in 1991 and she spent her childhood moving from country to country. She explains why she decided to track down the asylum centre worker who gifted her a bike when she was five.Andy Hamilton shares his Inheritance Tracks: It’s Impossible by Perry Como and It Doesn’t Matter Anymore sung by Buddy Holly.SK Shlomo can produce more noises from his mouth than the average orchestra. As a beatboxer, he’s performed at Glastonbury Festival and has collaborated with musicians including Bjork. But behind the music Shlomo has struggled with mental health issues.My Child and Other Mistakes: How to Ruin Your Life in the Best Way Possible by Ellie Taylor is out now.Longhand by Andy Hamilton is out now.Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure For Kids is touring now until November throughout the UK.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

7/31/2021 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 1 second

Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Christian O’Connell, presenter of the Breakfast Show on Gold FM in Melbourne, Australia. He tells us why he left his number one show on Absolute Radio, with three million listeners, to move to the other side of the world and take on the toughest radio market there is.Listener Lisa Jones on the World War Two dog tag she found in her garden and what she discovered when she went in search of the owner. Paula Craig was a detective in the Metropolitan Police, a marathon runner and triathlete when she was knocked off her bike and paralysed. She tells us how she was determined to live life to the full, pushing marathons and how she is about to swim in a Channel Relay. Novelist and screenwriter Deborah Moggach shares her Inheritance Tracks. She's chosen Ella Fitzgerald, Thanks for the Memory and Dory Previn, The Lady with the Braid.Comedian Daliso Chaponda shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent where he reached final by getting the Golden Buzzer. Since then, he’s performed at the Royal Variety Performance, has his own series on Radio 4, Citizen of Nowhere and is about to embark on a UK tour with Apocalypse Not Now. Producer: Annette Wells

7/24/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 46 seconds

Jack Savoretti joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to talk about his heritage, how his mum inspired him to get into music, and why for his seventh studio album, Europiana, Jack has reached back into his memories of childhood holidays spent on the beaches of north west Italy.Listener and musician Elaine Bryant contacted us to tell us about a very lucky escape she had back in 1984. She was 17, a harpist from Dublin, on a tour of North America and Canada, when they got caught in a snowstorm in the wilds of North Dakota.On active duty during the first Gulf War in 1991, John Nichol's Tornado bomber was shot down. He was held as a prisoner-of-war and under threat of execution appeared on TV around the world reciting Iraqi propaganda. John explains how a reunion 25 years after the conflict inspired him to tell the stories of the people involved. Journalist and author Caitlin Moran shares her Inheritance Tracks: Sister Suffragette from Mary Poppins and Something Good by Utah Saints.Fifth generation circus performer Emily England was a semi-finalist with her roller-skating brother on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. The duo became Las Vegas headliners but Emily suffered a terrible knee injury that threatened her career. Emily talks about her life as a performer and making her West End solo debut as a magician.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor GarlandJack Savoretti's album Europiana is out now, he is performing over the summer and has a 12 date UK tour next spring.Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm by John Nichol is out now.More Than A Woman by Caitlin Moran is out now in paperback. Photo Credit: Alex Lake.Emily England is a guest star Wonderville: Magic & Illusion at the Palace Theatre in London from 28th July - 2nd August.

7/17/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

Matt Haig is an award-winning author of fiction for both adults and children and his memoir of depression and anxiety Reasons to Stay Alive became a runaway bestseller. He joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi to discuss the inspiration for his latest non-fiction work The Comfort Book.Bexy Cameron was born into the Children of God cult and moved around the world with the notorious group. She escaped at fifteen but later felt compelled to document religious sects in order to better understand her childhood and her parents’ motivation for remaining in one. Her book Cult Following explores her childhood and her extraordinary journey through US religious cults.Debbie Money recently discovered her mum’s recipe book spanning five decades. From conch fritters to cheese and pineapple hedgehogs, Debbie is recreating her parents’ dinner parties to honour her mum, who died earlier this year, and to time travel through food. Charlie Gilmour was photographed hanging off the Cenotaph in Whitehall in 2010, an act that would see him imprisoned for violent disorder. Charlie was going through emotional turmoil at the time, having been abandoned by his biological father. Years later, Charlie would take an abandoned magpie chick under his wing and the bird flourished under his care, opening his own path to fatherhood. He joins us to talk about what it means to be a father and his book, Featherhood.And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of broadcaster Anita Rani.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

7/10/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Craig Revel Horwood, He is the one to impress on the Strictly Judging panel, a critical eye honed by his long history in performance and choreography including West Side Story, Cats, Chess, Sister Act, Annie, Son of A Preacher man and all the Strictly Tours. Jessie Cave played Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter films, is a comedian, doodler, podcaster and now a novelist, she joins us. Will Buckingham has always opened his house to strangers. When his partner died of breast cancer in 2016 he found continuing to do so helped him with his grief.Saturday Live Listener Rita Oakes tells us about her mum, the long distance lorry driver.The Inheritance Tracks of writer Michael Rosen who chooses Tom Lerher’s song Wernher von Braun and Young Hearts Run Free, Candi Staton.And your Thank You.Producer: Corinna Jones

7/3/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 23 seconds

Felicity Kendal made her stage debut as a baby. Over 70 years later she’s preparing to appear in her first musical, Anything Goes. She talks to Nikki Bedi and Suzy Klein about her career, including the impact of playing Barbara in The Good Life. Sarah Bickers grew up in a welcoming but messy home, and, living with ADHD, has learnt how to to create order out of chaos. She shares her experiences to help others as a professional declutterer. Jamie Hull was involved in a plane crash which saw most of his body burnt and he was given a 5% chance of survival. It took years for him to recover mentally and physically. He talks about how he’s found the strength to seize life and inspire others.George The Poet shares his Inheritance Tracks: And the Beat Goes On by The Whispers and Collateral Damage by Burna Boy.Ore Oduba triumphed in the 14th series of Strictly Come Dancing. He’s now about to tour the country in the Rocky Horror show.Felicity Kendal is appearing in Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre in London from Friday 23 July 2021, until Sunday 17th October. Life on a Thread by Jamie Hull is out now.George The Poet: Live From The Barbican takes place on Thursday 1st July.Ore Oduba stars as Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show - which is touring at venues across the UK from the 16th July.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

6/26/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 10 seconds

Johnny Flynn is in the rare position and being both an acclaimed musician and a successful actor who is breaking into the A-list both here and in America. He recently starred as David Bowie in the biopic Stardust and Mr Knightly in a big-screen adaptation of Emma and has just released an album he made during lockdown with writer Robert MacFarlane; Lost in the Cedarwood. He joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to talk about combining music, acting and family life.James O’Brien grew up knowing he wanted to follow in the footsteps his journalist father by having his own career in the media. However, after experiencing a crisis in his personal life a few years ago, James realised that neither is job as a broadcaster on LBC or his expensive public school education had prepared him to cope with his emotional trauma. He talks about his book How Not to be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind.When most people take pictures of their friends, the photos are briefly admired but usually quickly forgotten. But when Carinthia West took photos of her friends in the 70s, they included icons such as The Rolling Stones and Helen Mirren. Carinthia’s candid photos which offer a glimpse into the private lives of the rich and talented were left unprinted for decades and have only recently been revealed to the public for the first time. Steve Brown was captain of Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team at the London Paralympics in 2012. Since then, he has become a regular fixture on our TV screens as a presenter on Countryfile and Escape to the Country. He talks to us about his love of nature and the moments which changed the course of his life.And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of Sugababe Keisha Buchanan.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

6/19/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by iconic Beninese singer songwriter Angelique Kidjo. Whilst known for her energetic world music style she has also collaborated with Philip Glass, covered Talking Heads, played to a jubilant crowd at the BBC Proms and worked as an advocate for the rights and education of women.Growing up in Afghanistan in the 80s, Waheed Arian had to flee the war aged 5. He contracted TB in a refugee camp and his childhood and education were completely disrupted by war. He sought asylum in the UK, gaining enough qualifications to go to Cambridge University to study medicine. He joins us.Esme Young ran an avant garde fashion shop, has made costumes for Leonardo Di Caprio and Renée Zellweger, lectures at Central St Martins and is a judge on the Great British Sewing Bee on BBC One. Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith is also a passionate angler – he joins us.We have the inheritance Tracks of the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell who chooses Chopin Nocturne No. 1 in b-flat minor and Tippett A Child of our Time, and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

6/12/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Big Zuu joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles. The rapper started teaching himself to cook when he was 9 and is now combining a career in music with his passion for food. Listener Shobha Edgell is a former barrister who, after retirement, took up walking football, as well as being an extra in television and film. Hamish de Bretton Gordon is a chemical weapons expert who also has a heart condition called Sudden Death Syndrome. Victoria Hislop shares her Inheritance Tracks: Take Five by Dave Brubeck and Pio Poli by Michalis Hatzigiannis. Rick Stanton is a cave diver who, in the summer of 2018, was one of the lead divers involved in the rescue of a trapped football team from a flooded cave in Thailand. The second series of Big Zuu’s Big Eats starts on Monday 7th June at 10pm on Dave, and all episodes available as a boxset on UKTV Play from then.Chemical Warrior by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is out now.Maria’s Island by Victoria Hislop is out now.Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface by Rick Stanton is out on the 10th June.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

6/5/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Sara Cox has been entertaining the nation for 25 years, first through Channel 4 and MTV, then as host of Breakfast on BBC Radio 1 and now drive time on Radio 2. She joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to discuss her latest project, TV book club Under the Covers.Ben Dunne’s teenage son River died in a tragic road traffic accident in Sweden alongside his fellow bandmates from Viola Beach and their manager. They were on the cusp of stardom, scheduled to play a series of festivals in the UK and beyond. In the years following the tragedy, Ben has dedicated his life to providing opportunities for young people in River’s name. Anoushe Husain is a paraclimber who was born missing her right arm below the elbow. A civil-servant by day, Anoushe has experience multiple health conditions including cancer, and now supports girls from deprived backgrounds to improve their lives through climbing.Listener Dr Stephen Gillam is a GP who wonders if he was predestined to take up the stethoscope after discovering his family have been doctors for the best part of 250 years. And we have the Inheritance Tracks of ballet dancer Darcey Bussell.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

5/29/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

Award winning comedian and actor Omid Djalili joins us to talk about his route to fame, taking part in Splash, quiz show catchphrases, performing in Persian for the first time recently and getting back on stage after lockdown.In 1974, aged 17, Debbie Gayle travelled to the Soviet Union to train at the Kirov school of ballet. It was the height of the Cold war, and she found the experience thoroughly unwelcoming with the exception of a woman called Natasha who became her friend. When Debbie became ill and was isolated in hospital, Natasha proved to be a life line, helping her return to the UK where she left ballet and started a family. Almost 50 years later she told the story to her son and tracked Natasha down, creating a podcast about her experience called "Finding Natasha".Former Chelsea and Everton winger turned 5live pundit Pat Nevin on becoming a footballer by accident. Emma Gray is a world-renowned sheepdog trainer who recently relocated from a remote farm in Northumberland to the even more remote Isle of Bute in Scotland. Not only did she take along her husband and baby, as one would expect, but she packed up her 500 sheep, 40 cows and 20 dogs and transported them by ferry. She talks to us about uprooting, new love and new pastures.Mary Beard chooses her inheritance tracks: Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel and Sisters are Doin' it for Themselves by Eurythmics with Aretha Franklin. And your thank you!Producer: Corinna Jones

5/22/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Russell Tovey joins Nikki Bedi and Shaun Keaveny. The actor shares how his childhood passion for cartoons and collecting developed into a life changing love of art. Monica Korpal talks about why she retrained to become a nurse. Having been a hospital patient since childhood, due to a rare blood condition, she now works for the Haematology Unit where she was a patient. Alex George entertained millions on Love Island in 2018 but he's also an A&E doctor and personal experiences now make him focused on improving mental health and well-being. Jonathan Dimbleby shares his Inheritance Tracks: Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, the final movement. Celebrity auctioneer and antiques dealer Raj Bisram has appeared on television programmes including Channel 4’s Four Rooms and the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip, Flog It! and Bargain Hunt. But before he followed that path, he served in the army, as a ski racer and instructor and loves performing magic.Talk Art by Russell Tovey and Robert Diament is out now. And you can listen to the Talk Art podcast. Russell is also appearing in Constellations with Omari Douglas (30 July - 11 September) at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. Russell is curating Breakfast Under The Tree at the Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate in June, Prismatic Minds at The Flowers Gallery in London in July and a Hugh Steers exhibition in August. Finally, Russell is a 2021 Turner Prize Judge.Live Well Every Day by Dr Alex George is out now.Barbarossa: How Hitler Lost The War by Jonathan Dimbleby is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

5/15/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 13 seconds

Chef Raymond Blanc began to write a recipe book at the beginning of 2020 inspired by the fast and simple cooking of French scientist Edouard de Pomaine and by his mother. He had no idea the world was about to change. A few months later, Raymond was self-isolating when he found that his mother had died in France and then he was hospitalised with Covid for a month over Christmas and into January. He joins Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles to explain how Simply Raymond: Recipes from Home reflects how the past year has changed his approach to food and life.Kathryn Heyman experienced a horrific assault in her early 20s on her way home from a party. In a bid to escape the trauma, Kathryn joined four trawlermen on the Timor Sea where she was unexpectedly able to heal from the wounds of the past. She joins us to talk about her new memoir Fury.Actor Joseph Marcell has been well-known to British theatre audiences for 50 years, beginning his stint at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1972 and now sitting on the board of The Globe Theatre. He is globally famous for a different reason, having played the role of British butler Geoffrey in hit 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith and is still in syndication on television networks around the world.Asian Network presenter Yasser got his first break in TV when he was 12. He talks about discovering a different side to Pakistan when he went there as a DJ, being a 2012 Olympic Torch Bearer and shares stories from his Ramadan tracker, which is discovering out how Muslims are celebrating Ramadan around the world. And we have the Inheritance Tracks of designer Anya Hindmarch.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

5/8/2021 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Andi Oliver whose first career was as vocalist and performer in the band Rip Rig + Panic with her brother Sean and Neneh Cherry, amongst others. She then explored her passion for food and had a cookery show, more recently she became a judge on The Great British Menu and this year is hosting the show for the first time. Joe Marler plays rugby union for Harlequins and has 72 caps for England, has played for the British Lions and the Barbarians. He plays loose head prop and has been known to sport a mohican. He has said that ‘loose head’ was a good way to describe him - on the field he played the role of the pantomime villain, using the game as a way of letting out his aggression – legally! But off the field he was struggling with his mental health… he joins us.IT consultant Ed Accura never learnt to swim as a child growing up in Ghana and it was only after the birth of his daughter that he decided jump in a pool. Spurred on by shocking statistics which said 95 per cent of black people don’t swim in the UK, Ed has created two docu-dramas called Blacks Can’t Swim. He joins us to talk about his journey to the poolside. Writer Rebecca Schiller decided to try her hand at outdoors living by moving into a smallholding in the heart of Kent. But instead of finding calm, her mental health deteriorated and she began wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. And Deborah Meaden from Dragon’s Den chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Smooth Sailing by the Temptations and Mercy Mercy Me by Marvin Gaye. And your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

5/1/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Tim Burgess joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The Charlatans frontman talks music, meditation and how his lockdown Twitter listening parties have become more successful than he could have imagined. Natasha Coates developed severe allergies when she was 18. She threw herself into gymnastics and won 22 British titles and 38 British medals. Natasha talks about living with her condition and what sport means to her.Lawrence Okolie tells the story of how he went from an unhealthy fast food server to world boxing champion and Olympian , inspired by seeing boxer Anthony Joshua in the 2012 Olympics.Presenter Liz Kershaw shares her Inheritance Tracks: Bobby Darin - Beyond the Sea and You Could Be Mine by Guns N' Roses. George Butler talks about his experiences as an award-winning artist and illustrator. His work, specialising in reportage, travel and current affairs, has taken him around the world, drawing and telling the stories of people in war zones, refugee camps and most recently on the Covid frontline.Tim's Twitter Listening Party is on daily, replays available via the website. Tim Burgess' book The Listening Party is being published in September.Lawrence Okolie's book Dare to Change Your Life is out now.George Butler's Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Migration is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

4/24/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 58 seconds

Ben Fogle became famous over twenty years ago when he spent a year living on a Scottish Island for early reality TV programme Castaway. It was the springboard for remarkable career involving television presenting, publishing ten books, climbing Everest, swimming with crocodiles, saving elephants, walking to the South Pole and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. He tells Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi about his most recent project; travelling around the country to tell people about his extraordinary life. Ade Adepitan is a former Paralympian and a globe-trotting TV presenter, but he has only just started his most important adventure - fatherhood. He joins us to talk about this new chapter in his life and his latest three-part series, Ade on the Frontline: Climate Change.Liz Knight never felt comfortable in a suit when she worked in sales. After being made redundant she began working in a day care centre and, through the elderly people she met there, she learned more about local wildlife on the Welsh Borders. Liz turned that knowledge into a business and now a book Forage: Wild Plants to Gather, Cook and Eat. Listener Christina Longden contacted Saturday Live to tell us about her great great great grandfather, whose life had been shrouded in secrecy for a hundred years. Robert Stanley was a working class man from Manchester, who rose to become mayor and was one of the earliest converts to Islam. And snooker player Steve Davis shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Claire Bartleet

4/17/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 56 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Rev Richard Coles are joined by Mel Giedroyc, one half of Mel and Sue who shot to fame hosting Light Lunch, and then warmed our hearts and made us drool with the comforting TV cooking competition programme Great British Bake Off. Since Mel has acted, presented, podcasted about quilting, and she’s written her first novel.Stuart Lawrence’s life was thrown into disarray aged 17 when his adored older brother Stephen was killed in a racially motivated attack. Determined to have an positive impact on young people, he became a teacher, and is now a motivational speaker.Tiggi Trethowan is a listener who contacted us with her story of losing her sight.Alice Cooper chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Train Kept a Rollin’ by The Yardbirds and Thunderclap Newman, Something in the airand your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

4/10/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Liz Pichon talks to Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi about celebrating 10 years since her first Tom Gates book came out, ways she coped with undiagnosed dyslexia, doodling, and why, when she was growing up, her dad may have had the best job. Chris Bavin was a market trader turned grocer whose career took an unexpected turn when he was invited to be a TV presenter. He explains why his latest job has taken him to the New Forest. A surprise birthday present left Kath Cordingly with a love of beekeeping, she now owns around 10 million bees and is often found rescuing swarms from unusual places, despite developing an allergy to bee stings.Singer Mica Paris shares her Inheritance Tracks: Come Live with Me Angel by Marvin Gaye and Tom Browne- Funkin for Jamaica. Comedian and producer John Simmit talks about his life and career which includes playing Dipsy in the original Teletubbies series.Tom Gates: Ten Tremendous Tales by Liz Pichon is out now and the closing music was from Tom Gates The Album which is also out now.BBC Two’s Remarkable Places To Eat is back for two part series. Chris’s episode about the New Forest is on 6th April at 8pm.Mica Paris’ latest album Gospel....is out now.John Simmit narrates the Windrush musical Rush : A Joyous Jamaican Journey which tours around UK theatres starting on August 28th. Venues include The Palace Theatre, Redditch; Nottingham Playhouse; Bournemouth Pavilion.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

4/3/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 57 seconds

Composer, musician and producer Nitin Sawhney has just released his 11th studio album ‘Immigrants’ and has scored over 50 films and televisions programmes. He joins Suzy Klein and Nikki Bedi to discuss his life, his multi-award-winning music and how he manages to work across the worlds of music, film, video games, dance and theatre. Jeanne Socrates is a retired maths lecturer who battled through cyclones, broken bones and the loss of her husband to become the oldest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world in 2019. She’s recently completed a solo campervan tour of Australia and is looking to continue her sailing adventures once the pandemic ends. Ravinder Bhogal is a former beauty journalist who swapped eyeshadow palettes for pots and pans as an award-winning restaurateur and food writer. She crosses multiple cultures through her recipes and her second cookbook Jikoni was shortlisted for the André Simon prize. Melissa Rice was a well-presented schoolteacher in her twenties who was privately suffering from mental health problems, Crohn’s disease and alcoholism. After entering recovery from alcohol abuse, Melissa went on to co-host Hooked, a BBC podcast about addiction, and has written Sobering: Lessons Learnt the Hard Way on Drinking, Thinking and Quitting.We also hear the Inheritance Tracks of television presenter Philip Schofield.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard HooperPresenter: Nikki BediPresenter: Suzy Klein

3/27/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 36 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Ray Mears - an authority on bushcraft and survival, he's been presenting TV series and teaching on the subject for 3 decades.Jono Lancaster has a rare genetic condition called Treacher Collins Syndrome and was adopted at birth. He has made TV programmes, set up a charity and travelled extensively supporting other young people with facial difference. He discusses his journey to self acceptance.Jenny Packham’s designs have graced countless red carpets and award shows since she launched her eponymous label in her early 20s. She tells us how she was inspired from a young age by her two dressmaker Grandmothers.Jake Tyler got severe depression and felt burnt out as a manager of a busy London pub. He ditched city life and embarked on a 3,000 mile walk around Britain, visiting every national park while meeting dozens of friendly strangers who offered him a bed. And the poet, actor and DJ Craig Charles chooses his inheritance tracks: Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit and Wilson Pickett singing Hey Jude.And your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

3/20/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 16 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by singer Louise Redknapp who found fame in Eternal after being spotted in a nightclub aged 15. She went on to have a successful career as a solo artist, with 3 top ten albums, on stage in 9 to 5, and was also a Strictly finalist. Louise talks about growing up in the public eye, success, struggles and lessons she’d like to share. Para-powerlifter Ali Jawad became seriously ill at the Beijing Paralympics. He was later diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and was expected to retire; but, 13 years later he is still competing and hopes to make it to the Tokyo Olympics later this year.CBS news correspondent Martha Teichner talks about the unexpected friendship which changed her life, with the arrival of Bull Terrier Harry.Presenter Nicky Campbell shares his Inheritance Tracks: Smile by Nat King Cole and Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'Sullivan.Celeste Bell's mother was X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene. She talks about her life growing up, how she's recently found out more about her mother's extraordinary life; why she was encouraged to get a good education and inheriting a love of travel.You’ve Got This by Louise Redknapp is out now.Ali Jawad will take part in the Para Powerlifting World Cup, from 25-28 March in Manchester.When Harry Met Minnie by Martha Teichner is out now.Nicky Campbell's book One of the Family is out now.Poly Styrene: I am a Cliché is out now to watch through Modern Films.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/13/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 9 seconds

Gareth Thomas was 20 when he made his international rugby union debut for Wales in 1995. He went on to win 100 international caps for Wales, captaining them as well as the British and Irish Lions. Gareth announced publicly he was gay in 2009 and retired from rugby in 2011. In 2019, Gareth spoke openly about living with HIV and his new book Stronger documents the impact of his diagnosis and the ensuing publicity. He talks to Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi about challenging assumptions about HIV and masculinity.Chris McCausland is a stand-up comedian who is now a regular fixture on TV after 18 years on the circuit. Chris had to quit his job in IT because of a hereditary eye condition which means he is now blind. He almost became an MI5 spy at one stage but instead decided to make people laugh with his observational comedy.British Iranian musician and artist Roxana Vilk is collecting lullabies in diverse languages that are sung to children around Bristol and the UK. Singing Lullabies in Farsi to her own children allowed Roxana to connect with her culture and childhood experiences of conflict in the Middle East.Sylvia Wiggins was the drummer of the Liverbirds, emerging out of 1960s Liverpool as one of the world’s first female rock bands. They aimed to rival the Beatles in popularity and they eventually went on to play with Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks and the Rolling Stones. And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of singer Gabrielle.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard HooperPresenter: Nikki BediPresenter: Richard Coles

3/6/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 15 seconds

Niki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Sophie Ellis Bextor. Having started in the music business aged 16 in indie band theaudience, she went on to have a hugely successful solo dance pop career with hits like Groovejet and Murder on the Dancefloor. Most recently seen singing in her kitchen every fortnight in her online Kitchen Disco.After taking calls from lonely farmers as a volunteer for the Samaritans, listener Heather Heber Percy founded a rural dating agency to connect single people in the countryside. She joins us.Beth French is an endurance swimmer with a history of ME, who became the first person to swim from Cornwall to the Isle of Scilly. She juggles her training with being a single mother to her autistic son Dylan. And Guvna B is an award winning rap artist, who found that his father's sudden death in 2017 challenged his faith, and ideas of masculinity and identity.We have the Inheritance Tracks of crime writer Stuart MacBride who chooses The Bear Necessities performed by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen and My Chemical Romance: Welcome to the Black Parade.And your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

2/27/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 51 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Classic BRIT award winner Jess Gillam. At 22 Jess has released 2 albums, performed at the Last Night of the Proms and became the youngest ever presenter for BBC Radio 3. Jess talks about growing up in Ulverston in Cumbria, realising childhood ambitions and using music to spread joy.Drew Pritchard is the star of TV’s Salvage Hunters. He shares his passion for junk which has led to him discovering the casts that Lord Elgin made of his infamous marbles. He’s also made a million and lost it, and made it again. Listener Hannah Mornement's mother was a volunteer nurse in Ethiopia in 1985. Hannah talks about retracing her footsteps and meeting the people her mother helped.Writer Stella Duffy chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Life on Mars by David Bowie and You Got To Run by Buffy Sainte-Marie & Tanya Tagaq. Andi Osho’s CV includes film, TV, theatre, stand up and she’s just added fiction to the list. She talks about the inspiration for her debut novel, her late 20s life transformation and the importance of friendships.Jess Gillam's performance of Michael Nyman’s ‘Where the Bee Dances’ with the Manchester Camerata will be broadcast as a digital stream at 8pm on Friday 26th February. Jess is part of the ‘Classical Vauxhall’ series – which will be available to view on Sat 20th March. Jess has also recorded a concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which will be available via the RPO’s website from Thursday 25th March (7:30pm) and then available on demand for two weeks. Man With A Van: My Story by Drew Pritchard is out now.Lullaby Beach by Stella Duffy is out now.Asking for a Friend by Andi Osho is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/20/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 30 seconds

Chi-chi Nwanoku is a double bass player and founder of Europe's first professional majority black and minority ethnic orchestra, Chineke!. Chi-chi is the eldest of five children, born to a Nigerian father and an Irish mother. Early on, she discovered two competing passions: playing the piano and 100 metre sprinting. She explains to Nikki to Richard how at 5ft tall, she has managed to find success playing the largest orchestral instrument.  Musician David Gray is best known for his folk inspired songs which have netted him multiple Ivor Novello awards and Brit nominations. He’s also played the Royal Albert Hall and toured around the world. He celebrates nearly 30 years in the charts with his new album ‘Skellig’.Louise Allen was adopted as a baby and suffered abuse throughout her childhood but found solace in art and writing. The artist now fosters her own children and has written the best-selling Thrown Away Children series based on her experiences on both sides of the care system. Burley Smith was Junior Third Mate on the “Ship of Miracles” – a US ship that rescued 14,000 North Korean refugees at the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. It was referred to as “the greatest rescue operation ever by a single ship” by the US Maritime Administration. He joins us discuss his role in this extraordinary rescue.And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of Priyanka Chopra Jonas.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/13/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 52 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by award winning comedian, presenter and writer Russell Kane. He's been the host of three series of Live At The Electric, appearanced on Live At Apollo, Unzipped, Celebrity Juice, I Am Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now and the host of podcast Boys Don't Cry and Radio 4 series Evil Genius, we talk to him about how he got there.Listener Viv Bird accidentally joined an elite club in 1991 when she became one of few people to survive a plane crash - she joins us to tell her tale.Riyadh Khalaf is a broadcaster, celebrity masterchef winner and LGBTQ campaigner of Irish/Iraqi descent - he tells his story.Claire Martin was a foundling from Hong Kong who was adopted by a couple in the UK. She tells about her search for her birth relatives.Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Sweetheart Contract by Magazine and Brotherhood of Man by Oscar Peterson along with Terry Clarke and we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

2/6/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 14 seconds

Queen of Shops Mary Portas has carved out a role as a retail fixer, style guru and successful broadcaster. She joins Richard and Nikki to discuss her extraordinary career and a new season of On Style, a four-part series on Radio 4 exploring what style means to us and the way we live today. Actor Adrian Dunbar grew up in Northern Ireland and moved to London as a young man to train as an actor in London. His career has included appearances in films My Left Foot and The Crying Game and television programmes such as Cracker and Ashes to Ashes, but most famously, since 2012 Adrian has played Superintendent Ted Hastings in Line of Duty. He tells us about his recent trip around his homeland for Adrian Dunbar’s Coastal Ireland.Ella Risbridger is the author of cookbook and memoir Midnight Chicken which chronicles how cooking helped her through an anxiety disorder, depression and bereavement. She shares her favourite recipes from the book and explains how she feels cooking saved her life.When listener Mark Davies’ uncle died last year, he was shocked to discover that he was a secret hoarder. As Mark cleared his house, he found every nook and cranny filled with both mundane and extraordinary objects from apple pips to World War II medals. And we have the Inheritance Tracks of Andrew Lloyd Webber.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/30/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 50 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Comedian Ed Byrne. He went from youthful horticultural dreams to stand up star and has toured every other year since the late 90s – so what’s he done in lockdown? Some walking, some woodwork and a cookery show... he join us.We also have writer and poet Penny Pepper who is also a wheelchair-user who defied doctors' diagnoses and got inspired by the Sex Pistols and her English teacher to go into writing, leading to her book First in the World Somewhere.Stephen Morris was the drummer for Joy Division and New Order who introduced new technology into the band to create Blue Monday and other era defining music. Saturday Live listener Carol Godsmark contacted us with memories of her childhood growing up in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. As the daughter of a Canadian diplomat, her family were being tracked by the authorities. But a game of hide and seek uncovered a surprise in a hotel’s linen closet.Actor Anna Friel gives her Inheritance Tracks, choosing Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead Heart on Ice by Desi Friel (her dad).And your thank you!Producer: Corinna Jones

1/23/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 36 seconds

Labour peer Baroness Joan Bakewell has been a television presenter for over fifty years, most recently fronting Landscape Artist of the Year which returned to our screen this week. She joins Richard and Nikki to explain why she has taken up watercolours in lockdown.Marc Hamer was homeless and worked on the railways before enrolling in art college. After discovering a creative outlet in gardening, Marc spent years creating and maintaining the garden of the mysterious, aristocratic Mrs Cashmere which is the subject of his memoir Seed to Dust.Jonny Oates ran away from home to Ethiopia aged 15 to contribute to famine relief efforts but his trip didn't go as he planned . He subsequently became a teacher in Zimbabwe, parliamentary adviser in the first democratic South African Parliament and Chief of Staff to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in the coalition government.Last June , Annie Birney and her partner Eoin Boyle swapped their lives in Dublin for a summer as caretakers of Great Blasket Island off the coast of Ireland. After beating over 24,000 applicants to the post, they spent three months looking after holiday guests on the remote island without electricity, WiFi or hot water. Annie joins us to discuss their extraordinary adventure. And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of YolanDa Brown.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/16/2021 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. Writing for three decades, his first published poem was in 1987 whilst he was working in his day job as a probation officer, a job he followed his father into. A geography graduate who is still based in his home county of Yorkshire, how did he end up a member of the Royal household? Vick Hope is a TV and radio presenter known for her work on the Capital Breakfast Show, I’m a Celebrity Daily Drop and as one of the new presenters on Radio 1’s Life Hacks. She joins us.We are also joined by journalist Catherine Mayer, whose musician husband, Andy Gill from the band Gang of Four, suddenly took ill and died in February 2020. Just 41 days before, her mother Anne had lost her beloved husband John. United in their grief, the two women navigated grief and love together. In June 1987, listener Philip Price and two friends were trapped at the summit of Mont Blanc for nine days with barely any water, food or heating. He recounts his experience and their eventual rescue by the Chamonix Mountain rescue team.Skin from Skunk Anansie chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Stevie Wonder’s Pastime Paradise and Nina Simone singing Strange Fruit. And we have your thank yous.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/9/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 10 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by celebrity chef and food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who talks about changes we can make to our diet to eat and live better. Thriller writer CJ Daugherty talks about her new book, Number 10, in which a fictional prime minister’s daughter battles subterranean intrigue in Whitehall. She also reveals her own chequered past before becoming a writer.Award-winning author Andrew O’Hagan shares his Inheritance Tracks. He’s chosen This Is My Life by Shirley Bassey and Falling And Laughing by Orange Juice.Spoken word poet Isi the Scribe has put together a poem from words and phrases suggested by the audience. He also talks about being a zoologist and voice over actor. And Lynsey Bleakley of Bumble and Goose shares how the pain of four miscarriages ended her career as a health visitor and how baking brownies helped her recover and create a new business. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book Eat Better Forever is out now.Number 10 by CJ Daugherty is out now.Andrew O’Hagan’s book Mayflies is out now. Producer: Paul Waters

1/5/2021 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 42 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by writer and comedian Adam Buxton, who talks about his partnership with schoolfriend Joe Cornish, family relationships and performs a song. Anne Glenconner’s memoir Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown became a bestseller. Now 88, Lady Glenconner has written her first novel Murder on Mustique, set on the island formerly owned by her husband. She discusses her life, dealing with tragedy and why she’s now at her happiest. As a Boxing Day treat, Jools Holland and Sheila Ferguson share their Inheritance Tracks. Jools Holland has chosen Up Above My Head by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Love Made Them Do That by Jools Holland With Ruby Turner. Sheila Ferguson has chosen What Are You Doing New Year's Eve by Nancy Wilson and When Will I See You Again by The Three Degrees.During lockdown Jay Flynn become known for his Virtual Pub Quiz, which won him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. He’s also been awarded an MBE as he has raised over £750, 000 for charity. But in his 20s, after a relationship breakdown, he spent time sleeping rough in London – calling a bench on Victoria Embankment his home. Adam Buxton's Ramble Book is out now.Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner is out now.Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will welcome in 2021 with his annual Hootenanny on BBC 2.Sheila Ferguson is performing in We Need A Little Christmas in support of Shelter & Crisis, which will be streamed from 20th December to 1st January.Jay Flynn's Pub Quiz Book is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/26/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 43 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Rev Richard Coles are joined by Michel Roux Jr. whose father and uncle were the first in the UK to achieve three Michelin stars for their London restaurant Le Gavroche, where he partly trained in classical French cookery, also doing military service working in the kitchens of the Elysee Palace cooking for two French presidents. He now runs Le Gavroche, and has continued the cooking dynasty as his own daughter has also become a chef. Maria Leijerstam Edy holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to cycle to the South Pole, in 2013. Navigating avalanches and crevasses, extreme weather conditions and chronic pain, she reached her goal in just 10 days. She joins us. Meriel Larken has spent over 30 years rescuing a ship that lies today on the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca in Peru. The Yavari, a Victorian steamboat built in a Birmingham shipyard was transported piecemeal through the Andes on mule back. It's now a popular tourist destination and B&B. Rainer Hersch studied economics, but has made his name in orchestral music that has the audience laughing raucously in scenes more expected at a stand-up show. He joins us.Don Black chooses his inheritance tracks: Besame Mucho by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme and The Way You Look Tonight by Fred Astaire and we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

12/19/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 51 seconds

Dame Katherine Grainger won five medals for rowing in five consecutive Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016, including gold in London 2012. She also has a PhD in criminal law and is chair of UK Sport. She joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi to discuss her extraordinary life. Kelly Jones is the frontman of the rock band the Stereophonics. Known for his distinctive gravel-voice, he was born in South Wales and followed his dad into the music industry. He’s just released a solo album Don’t Let the Devil Take Another Day and the recent documentary Don’t Let the Devil Take Another Day follows him through his recovery from throat surgery after which he had to re-learn to sing.Ben Aitken was on the lookout for a budget holiday when he signed up for a five-day coach trip to Scarborough. Through spending time with the often elderly people on the bus, he discovered their fascinating stories and ended up signing up for six coach holidays across the UK which he has written about in his book The Gran Tour.And we hear from Kev who, with help from his support worker Henrietta MacEwen from Buses4Homeless, was given a grant by the Vicar's Relief Fund to help him rent a home. The Vicar's Relief fund is part of the work of St Martin-in-the-Fields does with people who are homeless. To donate to the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields call 0800 082 82 84 now. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles. And we have the Inheritance Tracks of actor Richard Armitage.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/12/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 21 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by award winning crime writer Ian Rankin who talks about taking John Rebus out of Edinburgh in his latest novel. Listener Joy France reveals how she became known as the Rapping Granny. Richard Essien's skills as a hip-hop dancer and dazzling illusionist saw him sail to the final of Britain’s Got Talent 2020, using stage persona Magical Bones. Comedian Mark Watson shares his Inheritance Tracks - The Logical Song by Supertramp and In The New Year by The Walkmen. A lifelong dedication to curiosity and problem-solving has led Ella Al-Shamahi not only to a successful career in paleoanthropology, but also in stand-up comedy. The new John Rebus thriller A Song For The Dark Times is out now.Magical Bones will be live in London at the Hippodrome Casino on 13th December. Plus, there will be a UK tour of Black Magic starting in February next year.Mark Watson's latest book Contacts is out now.Ella Al-Shamahi's Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon starts on Saturday 5th December at 6.30pm on Channel 4Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/5/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Mica Paris. Hauled up onstage by Prince, fish 'n' chips with Stevie Wonder and footsie with Whitney Houston, and now EastEnders and a Gospel album.John 'Chickie' Donohue joins us from New York - he travelled more than 8,000 miles into the middle of the Vietnam War, to take his buddies some beers. Listener Liza Frank has been looking into folklore of the British Isles and sometimes beyond, and set her self the challenge of doing a ritual or tradition every day of the year and logging it in her blog.Karenjeet Kaur Bains is accountant by day, and a powerlifter the rest of the time - she is Britain’s first female Sikh powerlifter to represent Britain on the World and European stages. We have the inheritance tracks of writer John Lanchester who chooses JS Bach, Partita no. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825 played by Dinu Lipatti and Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees; and a listener's thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

11/28/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by pub-loving celebrity chef Tom Kerridge who has been awarded two Michelin stars since opening The Hand and Flowers in Marlow. The pub celebrates its 15th anniversary with The Hand and Flowers Cookbook. Since opening the pub Tom has been a fixture of British cooking programmes and has famously lost 12st in weight. He has also turned his attention to the plight of British pubs in lockdown with his new BBC series Saving Britain’s Pubs. Comedian and television presenter Tom Allen is currently offering up an Extra Slice of Bake-Off on Channel 4 and has just published his memoir No Shame which describes the stigma of being ‘an outsider’ as a teenager in 90s suburbia. Naomi Riches was hit by a car while on a night out in London and spent months recovering from a head injury. Just four years later, Naomi would compete at the Beijing Paralympics, earning a Bronze medal for Great Britain. With a dogged determination to always do her best, she would eventually go on to net a Gold medal at London 2012. Julie McDowall went ‘viral’ on Twitter in January 2019 when she told her followers that she has synaesthesia and can ‘taste’ names. She is also an expert in nuclear war.And author Ken Follett shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/21/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Gabriel Byrne joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The Award-winning actor made his acting debut as a shepherd in a Nativity play and since then has made over 80 films, won a Golden Globe for In Treatment and had a successful stage career. He talks about growing up in Ireland, wanting to be a priest, turning his life around and loving a simple life.Courtney Act talks about her life and career which includes winning Celebrity Big Brother 2018 (UK). The performer also talks about why she's giving a lesson in ‘Kindness’ as part of the Celebrity Supply Teacher series on CBBC. Guitarist Hank Marvin shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line and Allan Holdsworth - Joshua.Listener Matt Flukes was told he has an incurable cancer just ten minutes after his adoption of two children was made official by a judge. He will talk about how he was inspired to write fiction by his experiences of adoption. David Quantick is an Emmy-award winning comedy writer who has worked on Veep, Thick of It, Brass Eye and Spitting Image. But he explains everything might have been very different if he had carried on with his initial career choice in Law. Gabriel Byrne main image credit: Jerome De Perlinghi 1999.Walking With Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne is out now. Courtney’s Act’s lesson is on Thursday 19th November at 10 am on CBBC.Olly and Lilly, the search for a new race is out nowNight Train by David Quantick is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/14/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Akram Khan. Winning a disco dance competition as a child encouraged Akram to pursue what he saw as his one talent: dance. Today he is one of the UK’s leading choreographers, has an MBE for services to dance, and tells stories through dance on stages as varied as Sadlers Wells to the 2012 London Olympics stadium. Sarah Beeny has graced our TV screens for the past 20 years as one of the nation’s most loved property experts. She estimates that she’s now been in more than 1,000 homes offering advice on all things remodeling, interior design and extensions. Now, the cameras follow her and her family as they build a house from scratch in Somerset. When Dwayne Fields moved to London from Jamaica aged 6 he wondered where all the trees were. He escaped the city after discovering Epping forest and adventures in nature, becoming the first black Briton to reach the North Pole in 2010. The Scout ambassador and Countryfile contributor is now planning to take 20 disadvantaged youngsters to the Antarctic and has his sights on reaching the South Pole within the next two years. Saturday Live listener Bill Murray's father was the bodyguard and painting companion of Winston Churchill - he contacted us to talk about his memories. Writer Sophie Kinsella chooses her inheritance tracks, Five Hundred Miles by The Seekers and F. Couperin "Les Baricades Mysterieuses" played by Angela Hewitt on Hyperion Records and your "thank you".Producer: Corinna Jones

11/7/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 43 seconds

Sir David Jason turned 80 this year and spent lockdown writing his new book A Del of a Life: Lessons I’ve Learned which describes how, despite beginning his career as an electrician, he went on to play some of the UK's best-loved characters including Granville, Pa Larkin, Detective Inspector Jack Frost, Danger Mouse and, of course, Derek Trotter. He explains to Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi how he achieved the title of Britain’s 4th most hard working actor.Journalist and television presenter Steph McGovern is currently hosting Steph's Packed Lunch on Channel 4, but before that she worked for the BBC as the main business presenter for BBC Breakfast. She describes herself as a hustler, persuading the BBC to take her on after doing work experience and becoming Robert Peston’s producer before moving in front of the camera. Paul Stone (aka ‘My Dog Sighs’) gave up his teaching job to pursue his dream of being an artist. Rejected by every gallery he approached, he returned to his former career resigned to the fact that his dream would never become a reality. His desire to make art never left, and so inspired by graffiti artists (but not wanting to get in trouble with the law), he began secretly painting on discarded items of rubbish and leaving them for people to find. Wendy Mason-Smith was 19 years old when her father decided to sell his newsagent in Hayle, Cornwall and hand build a catamaran to sail his family to Australia. Despite having very little sailing experience and being known for his terrible DIY skills, Wendy, her two younger siblings and parents, set off in the summer of 1976. Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/31/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 24 seconds

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Phillip Schofield who shares his highlights from spending nearly 40 years in television, and talks about coming out as gay- both publicly and privately. Wim Hof, also known as The Ice Man, holds multiple world records including climbing the highest mountains in the world while wearing only shorts. He reveals how the cold was his saviour in tough times and that a traumatic birth made him a man on a mission.When Skepta won his 2016 Mercury prize he thanked his mother. Now Ify Adenuga talks about her life: growing up in Nigeria and protecting her children from youth crime whilst they were growing up in London.Former Footballer and Pundit Jamie Redknapp shares his Inheritance Tracks: Easy by The Commodores and The Notorious B.I.G - Juicy.Sharon D. Clarke MBE is an Olivier Award-winning actor and singer. She talks about her eclectic career, from her first hit “I Wanna Give You Devotion” with Nomad in 1991, to TV roles on Holby City and Doctor Who, and an Olivier Award-winning performance in Caroline, or Change, which she was about to take to Broadway before lockdown happened.Life’s What You Make It by Phillip Schofield is out now.The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof is out now .Endless Fortune by Ify Adenuga is out now.Jumpers for Goalposts: The Making of a Footballer by Jamie Redknapp is out now.Sharon D. Clarke performs in the audio project Written on the Waves which comprises 9 world premières including Lem N Ginge: The Princess of Kakos - released on 5th October.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/24/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Rupert Everett, star of stage and screen with titles such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of being Earnest, Shakespeare in Love, St Trinian’s, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and his directorial debut which he also wrote and starred in: The Happy Prince. We also have Charlotte Mensah, the UK’s authority on natural Afro, mixed and curly textured hair. Her journey took her between Ghana and the UK, overcoming some major hurdles, leaving school at 16, finding a community and security in hair dressing to owning her own salon, hair range and a charity to help others.Jasvir Kaur Rababan MBE is a Sikh music therapist and one of the only female rabab players in the world. She talks about her journey from tone-deaf teenager to professional musician, and how picking up her instrument for the first time felt like coming home. And JJ Chalmers joins us. A former Royal Marines commando, Invictus Games medallist, TV presenter, media personality and public speaker, after being severely injured from a bomb blast whilst serving as a Royal Marine in Afghanistan JJ suffered life-changing injuries that led him to a long road of recovery. He’s now swapping his microphone for the glitter ball on Strictly.Writer Bernard Cornwell chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Down to the River to Pray performed by Alison Krauss and Pie Jesu from Fauré’s Requiem performed by Voces8, and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

10/17/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 55 seconds

Broadcaster and former MP Michael Portillo joins Suzy Klein and Richard Coles to discuss his new book which celebrates ten years of Great British Railway Journeys. Actor Jude Akuwudike was born in Nigeria and lived there until he was six when a baffling illness lead to his parents, who were studying in London, to bring him to the UK for treatment. Jude recovered but the Civil War prevented his family returning to Nigeria and Jude went on become an actor, training at RADA and having successful career on stage and in film. He is now starring in his first ever Nigerian film, Eyimofe.Listener Helen Lindsay emailed Saturday Live about her father Jack, who was a member of the Communist Party. Helen recently discovered that her father had actually been watched for decades by MI5. Jeff Johns aka “Big Jeff” has been to a gig almost every night of the week for the past 18 years. He is a well-known presence in Bristol and his face is used as the literal stamp of approval in his favourite local venue.And Tori Amos shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/10/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by multi-award-winning dancer and Strictly Head Judge Shirley Ballas. Liam Meredith is a former offender who has turned his life around to become a dairy conservationist, business owner and mentor to young prisoners. Lara Prior-Palmer talks about being the first woman and youngest competitor to win the Mongol Derby, known as the world's longest and hardest endurance horse race. Dave Stewart shares his Inheritance Tracks: Only a Pawn in Their game by Bob Dylan and Liberation by Stewart Lindsey. Shaun Williamson, best known as Barry from EastEnders, explains his love of quizzing and talks about growing up in suburban Kent, his stint in the Navy, and the discovery of a long‐lost son.Shirley Ballas: Behind the Sequins is out now.Lara Prior-Palmer's memoir Rough Magic is out now.Amitié – the new album from Stewart Lindsey is out now. A Matter of Facts by Shaun Williamson is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/7/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 14 seconds

Richard Coles and Marverine Cole are joined by writer and illustrator Cressida Cowell, whose How to Train Your Dragon series has sold 11 million books worldwide in 38 languages and is a major DreamWorks Animation film franchise, she’s also written the Wizard of Once series, the Emily Brown books and is the current Children’s laureate.Rob Halford is lead singer of Grammy Award winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He struggled with his identity and drug and alcohol addiction. He's now sober and out!Jessi Gutch was diagnosed with incurable cancer in February 2019, aged 26. Plans this year to work through her “bucket list” were replaced by shielding in her second floor flat. However, she still managed to explore some of these themes in a short film and she got married. She joins us. Suzanne Bonnar grew up the only black child in a tiny Scottish town. She didn’t know her American father, but she felt connected to him via the US Naval servicemen who were stationed nearby. When the US military permanently withdrew from Loch Hope, she set about trying to find her dad. The story of their reunion was captured by a documentary crew. 25 years later Suzanne feels she has only just recovered from the experience. Lexicographer Susie Dent chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Calypso by John Denver and Me, Myself, I, by Joan Armatrading, and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

9/26/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Alan Davies joins Richard Coles and Marverine Cole. Having spent nearly 20 years on the QI panel, performing sell-out comedy tours and appearing in television sitcoms and dramas, Alan has branched out and written an unflinching memoir about his painful childhood.Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is a former lecturer at Birmingham University and the mother of seven children. The third eldest, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was BBC Young Musician 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The siblings have performed at the 2018 BAFTA ceremony, Britain's Got Talent, The Royal Variety Performance and at major concert halls around the world. How did she do it?Harry Shearer is an American comedian, radio host and actor who is known for his stints on Saturday Night Live, for co-creating and performing in This Is Spinal Tap and for voicing up several characters on The Simpsons, including Mr Burns, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders. He is now using his vocal skills to create an album of songs which Harry performs as Donald Trump.Listener Barbara Butcher contacted Saturday Live to tell us about her grandfather, who died during the First World War at Ypres in 1917. He left behind a beautiful watch which has been in the family for four generations, but when her son had the watch opened up a few years ago, he was surprised by what he discovered…And we have the Inheritance Tracks of food critic and broadcaster Jay Rayner whose latest book Last Supper: One Meal, a Lifetime in the Making is out now and the Jay Rayner Quartet will be live-streaming their gig on Oct 17th. Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/19/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Charles Spencer. Charles has a few hats – as Earl Spencer he is the custodian of Althorp house in Northamptonshire; he is the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales; he is the Queen’s godson; but also he is a respected author of history books – his latest tells the events of almost 900 years ago involving a dramatic shipwreck which changed the course of history – the story is, as he describes it, a mash up of Titanic and Game of Thrones with a bit of Sliding Doors thrown in.We also have Sophie Carrigill who is co-captain of Britain’s women’s wheelchair basketball team. A decade ago at the age of 16, Sophie Carrigill was caught in a life-threatening car accident which paralysed her from the waist down, now she has just re-started group training for the 2021 Paralympics. Louis Bird’s dad was record breaking pacific rower Peter Bird, who was attempting another crossing when he disappeared in the middle of the pacific ocean when Louis was 4 years old. Now 28, Louis has looked into his Dad's story, completed a mammoth row himself and made a documentary about coming to terms with his father's death. As a Museum curator Rachel Morris advised museums on how to design exhibitions and make the most of their artefacts. But it was only when she decided to look at the hoard of family letters and random possessions that had been stashed under her own bed that she put together a museum of her own family life story and confronted some painful memories.We have your thank you, and the inheritance tracks of soul superstar Ruby Turner who chooses chooses Aretha Franklin, Don't play that song for me and Gladys Knight, A licence to kill.Producer: Corinna Jones

9/12/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Richard Coles and Angela Scanlon are joined by TV presenter Richard Osman who has written his first detective novel set in a retirement village. Ian Ridley is a sports writer who has written about the healing power of sport and the solace he found in county cricket following the death of his wife, pioneering sports journalist Vikki Orvice. Bestselling writer Caitlin Moran discusses the unexpected difficulties of middle age life in her new book More Than A Woman. Plus your thank yous and an interview with good Samaritan hot air balloonist Robin Batchelor. And former politician Ed Balls shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses 'Dopo notte, atra e funesta' from Handel's Ariodante and 'We Shall Overcome' by Pete Seeger.Producer: Steven Williams

9/5/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Richard Coles and Angela Scanlon are joined by Nicola Benedetti. The violinist started the year winning her first Grammy and during lockdown she’s been inspiring thousands of people virtually, as well as indulging her passion for cooking. Actor Mark Williams reflects on his extraordinary career, as The Fast Show celebrates over 25 years since its first broadcast. Lucy Chapman's CV includes pop-punk musician, cabaret performer, librarian and now trainee barrister. She talks about her path to law and the impact of a recent ADHD diagnosis. Jonathan Slaght explains why he's devoting his life to saving the Blakiston’s fish owl.Actor, writer and director Zawe Ashton chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Crazy Love Vol II by Paul Simon and Don’t Touch My Hair by Solange featuring Sampha.Nicola Benedetti’s Elgar album is out now. She is performing at BBC Proms on Thursday 3rd September, at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on the 4th September, and has an online Philharmonia Session on Thursday 17 September 2020.At 9pm tonight UKTV will be airing a two-hour special to celebrate The Fast Show.Zawe Ashton's book Character Breakdown is out now.Owls of the Eastern Ice - A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl by Jonathan Slaght, is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Richard Hooper

8/29/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles and Michelle Ackerley are joined by writer Joanne Harris; broadcaster Peter Snow; wildlife journalist and wasp expert Ben Aldiss and chef Joshna Maharaj.Born in Barnsley, writer Joanne Harris MBE was a teacher for 15 years during which time three of her novels were published including Chocolat in 1999 which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliet Binoche. Since then, she has written 15 more novels, two novellas, two collections of short stories, a Dr Who novella, guest episodes for the game Zombies Run, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks. She is guest director of this year's Yorkshire Festival of Story and her new book Orfeia is out in September. You can find more information about the festival via yorkshirefestivalofstory.comMost of us get as far away as possible when we spot a wasp, but Ben Aldiss does just the opposite. A wildlife journalist and teacher who was known as Dr Wasp by his students, Ben studied wasps for his doctorate and is an expert in their behaviour and what provokes them to sting. He joins us to discuss some of the myths people believe about the insects, how to avoid getting stung, and some of his own experiences working closely with them.Joshna Maharaj is a chef who lost her sense of smell about six years ago. She talks about the devastating effect of anosmia, how she coped with her loss in the kitchen environment and why she kept it a secret for many years. She is now undergoing smell training to help her regain her lost sense and talks about her olfactory experiments and how smell is directly connected to memory and emotion. Take Back the Tray by Joshna Maharaj is out now.There isn’t much ground that broadcaster, journalist and historian Peter Snow hasn’t covered in his career: the first presenter of Newsnight when it launched in 1980, and the face of the election swingometer - he’s since moved on to making documentaries with his son, Dan, and now, writing books with his wife, Canadian journalist Ann MacMillan. He joins us to chat about their new book which uses 50 documents to illustrate global history. He also reminisces about his career as a journalist, surviving a plane crash and the story of his unwitting audition for the role of James Bond. Treasures of World History: The Story of Civilisation Told Through the 50 Most Important Documents by Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan is out now.Writer Matt Haig chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Don't You Want Me by the Human League and It's Quiet Uptown from the Hamilton soundtrack. And there's a thank you to a stranger who saved a dog's life.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/22/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Richard Coles and Michelle Ackerley are joined by Bob Harris. He has been whispering on our airwaves for 50 years: starting at Radio 1 and going to TV’s Whistle Test, Radio Luxembourg, Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, numerous local radio stations, back to Radios 1, 2 and 6 Music… all the time touring with musicians, interviewing them and listening to them – his passion for introducing music to the masses earning him numerous awards, and an OBE. We'll also speak to Alice Dearing. She is one of the most successful young British swimmers in Britain, usually found competing in open water marathon events around Europe, but for much of lockdown she has not been able to swim. This meant she had time to focus on her activism, promoting access to swimming for black people and busting myths about swimming.When she was a child, SL listener Janet Haite’s grandmother would unroll her stockings to show off her tattoos which covered most of her body. Janet’s grandparents were pioneers in the tattooing world and her grandfather, George Burchett, not only inked soldiers going off to fight in the First and Second World Wars but also European royalty. She'll share her memories.And we'll have Mark Lane in the studio. Mark had a serious car accident which left him in considerable pain and unable to continue in his PR career. Getting out into the garden led him to pursue horticulture qualifications and to a successful and rewarding second career as a garden designer and the first presenter on Gardener’s World in a wheelchair.Fay Ripley chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Streisand/ Garland, Happy days are here again/ Get Happy and Nicky Mulvey, Fever to the Form.And we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/15/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Jackie Kay is the national poet of Scotland and has taken her Makar duties seriously. She has written a weekly poem during lockdown, brought art into people’s homes with the broadcast Makar to Makar and written about the Black Lives Matter protests. She joins Richard Coles and Bridgitte Tetteh to discuss the timely reissue of her play The Lamplighter which follows five characters who are sold into the British slave trade.Emily Kolltveit was the lead singer of a goth metal band for nearly a decade before she joined the priesthood. Her tour schedule saw her perform in beautiful churches around Europe, awakening an interest in God. Emily has started her new role at a church in Primrose Hill, London where she wants to spread the message of social justice.Personal trainer Ben Mudge has always lived with the threat of a deadly lung infection, having grown up with Cystic Fibrosis. Despite this, he has been the cover model for Men’s Fitness magazine and, because he looks remarkably like the Marvel character Thor, he dresses up to inspire children and other people with Cystic Fibrosis.Writer and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi founded the drag troupe Denim, whilst studying at Cambridge. Amrou recently won the Somerset Maugham Award for young writers for their memoir Life as a Unicorn which describes their transformation from a god-fearing Muslim boy to a drag queen, strutting the stage in seven-inch heels and saying the things nobody else dares to.And we have the Inheritance Tracks of singer and ex-Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/8/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 39 seconds

Richard Coles and Bridgitte Tetteh are joined by Danielle de Niese who became the youngest ever winner of the Australian TV programme Young Talent Time at the age of 9. Her family relocated to Los Angeles, where Danielle made her professional operatic debut at the age of 15 with the Los Angeles Opera. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera at 19 and now performs around the world. She will host the TV coverage of the Proms 2020 later this summer.Loyd Grossman claims he hasn’t had a career, he’s got a CV. It’s an extensive one; he was the presenter of TV programmes Through the Keyhole and the original MasterChef, he has been a punk guitarist, a journalist, a food critic and launched his own successful food line. And he is now a historian, having published a book about American artist Benjamin West in 2015 and now one on the Italian sculptor Bernini.Sally Coulthard was a busy TV producer in London until she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue syndrome in her late 20s. She was forced to move back home to Yorkshire where she fell in love with rural life. Sally, who has her own flock of sheep, has now published a book on how the woolly creatures have shaped the world.Chris Steel was a bouncer in Blackpool when he returned to school to get his GCSEs. Unexpectedly, he fell in love with learning. Chris is about to embark on a PhD in cancer cell biology at Magdalene College, Cambridge.And ballet dancer Deborah Bull shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

8/1/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by TV presenter Richard Hammond, who has driven all kinds of vehicles all over the world. He discusses his passion for cars and motorbikes and how he dealt with life-changing injuries following a 300 mph crash in a jet-powered dragster. Kat Harbourne is one of the presenters of the Naked Podcast. She explains why she interviews people in the nude and whether it leads to a more revealing interview. Paul Wood is an expert in urban trees. His passion has led him to uncover a forest of exotic trees in London including Giant Redwoods and the peanut butter tree. Self-taught chef Asma Khan was born into a royal family in India. She moved to the UK to train as lawyer and eventually set up a successful restaurant with an all-women kitchen. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of singer-songwriter Jessie Ware who chooses 'I Get a Kick Out of You' by Ella Fitzgerald and 'Love is Stronger than Pride' by Sade.

7/25/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Graeme Garden - one third of the Goodies along with Bill Oddie and the late Tim Brooke-Taylor. In the classic BBC television show the trio played agents for hire and would do "anything, anywhere, anytime". Astride their trusty ‘Trandem’ – a three-seater bicycle – they tackled a giant kitten, parodied westerns with a Cornish version called “Bunfight at the OK Tea Rooms” and were chased by a giant Dougal from Magic Roundabout. Graeme also created I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, the long-running Radio 4 show on which he is still a panellist and, with producer Jon Naismith, devised the Unbelievable Truth on Radio 4.Jojo Moyes is a novelist and journalist. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me and The Girl You Left Behind. Me Before You has now sold over 14 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. JoJo’s latest novel, The Giver of Stars, is based on a mobile library service launched by Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s. The Pack Horse Library Project was an initiative in which female volunteers on horseback delivered paperbacks to families in rural Kentucky who did not have access to books. Giles Clark is a conservationist who is taking on the illegal wildlife trade and helping to build a pioneering new bear sanctuary in Laos, Southeast Asia. He'll be talking about rescuing sun and moon bears and the perils of having bears about the house. And Garry Crothers, who lost an arm in a motorbike accident, joins us to talk about his epic journey - a 4,000 mile solo voyage from the Caribbean to his home in Northern Ireland. Presenter and author Fern Britton chooses her Inheritance Tracks - Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer by Nat King Cole and (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman by Carole King.Plus a listener says thank you to a stranger who helped her at a difficult time.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Richard Hooper

7/18/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 15 seconds

Richard Coles and Viv Groskop are joined by aesthetician and skin expert Caroline Hirons. She went from counter girl to being dubbed the most powerful woman in the beauty industry, her blog has clocked up over a hundred thousand views and her book has just become the second ever on beauty to go to number one in the charts.And furniture restorer Jay Blades, known for TV's The Repair Shop on why he cares so much about old things and the stories behind them.Annie Atkins is a graphic designer who inhabits a secret world - if you notice her work – it usually means she hasn’t done her job properly. She joins us to discuss her journey to Grand Budapest hotels and Boxtrolls.We also have Antony Barlow, a listener who contacted us about a secret he kept from his family until they opened a letter meant for him.and Martha Wainwright choose Me Myself I by Joan Armatrading and Going to a Town by Rufus Wainwright.plus your "thank you".Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

7/11/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 10 seconds

Richard Coles and Viv Groskop talk to England football legend John Barnes who earned 79 caps over 12 years. His talent was spotted as a teenager and he began his career at Watford, going on to have huge success at Liverpool in the 1980s and 90s. He has been a coach, a football manager and even scored a number 1 single with his contribution to football song World In Motion, and now works as a commentator and pundit.DJ, raconteur, author, producer, broadcaster and Fun Lovin’ Criminal, Huey Morgan was born in New York and grew up listening to Latin American Music through his Puerto Rican heritage. He eventually became the frontman of rock band Fun Lovin’ Criminals and now has his own shows on Radio 2 and 6Music. Mudlark Lisa Woollett is a photographer who has always been drawn to beaches and riverbeds, combing and searching for objects left behind from other times. Lisa is particularly drawn to the Thames where she has unearthed the story of her mother’s side of the family, the Tolladays. Her book Rag and Bone charts the history of this family of dustmen and scavengers and shows that the things we discard often find their way to the surface again. Listener Jane Ferriday contacted Saturday Live to tell us the story of her birth parents, who met and fell in love during the Second World War, whilst they were based at an airbase in Berkshire. Her father was already married, and returned to his family in America and her mother placed her up for adoption. It was years later that Jane was able to find out what really happened and to piece together her story. And we'll have the Inheritance Tracks of actor and comedian Sally Phillips.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

7/4/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 38 seconds

Nikki Bedi and the Reverend Richard Coles are joined by Ellie Simmonds.Ellie Simmonds was the face of the 2008 Bejing Paralympics, winning two gold medals in the pool at the age of only thirteen. She followed that up with further gold medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and was preparing for the Tokyo Olympics until the games were postponed.Sand sculptor Jamie Wardley transforms tonnes of sand into objects of transient beauty and reveals how his art has enriched his life in an extraordinary way. Miles Leonard is a high flying music executive and landlord of a rural Somerset pub that has played host to some stellar names from the music business from Coldplay to Kylie Minogue. Also actor Denise Welch discusses her frank memoir about living with depression and the Inheritance Tracks of musician Norah Jones who chooses Blue Christmas by Elvis and Trenchtown Rock by Bob Wailers and the Wailers.Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

6/27/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 15 seconds

Nemone Metaxas and the Reverend Richard Coles are joined by Simon Le Bon. As lead singer of Duran Duran: a band that has sold over 100 million records, had 18 American hit singles and 21 UK Top 20 tunes, he continues to perform to sold-out audiences around the world. He married a supermodel, had a family and explored his passion for yachts - his life the epitome of glamour. Now a proud grandfather, Simon Le Bon will be live in the studio. We also have Ruqsana Begum, who is a Muay Thai world champion, the world’s first female Muslim boxing champion, who for five years kept her sport a secret from her family. and Cardiff based café owner Kemi Nevins, who was fostered as a baby, her parents advertising the opportunity in the local paper. It was the start of a relationship she treasured for life. And Andrew Cotter the sports commentator whose videos reporting on the behaviour of his dogs, Olive and Mabel, have accrued millions of views online. We'll have the Inheritance Tracks of actor Mark Strong who chooses Mr Soft by co*ckney Rebel and Birgit Nilsson singing the aria Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan & Isolde, and your Thank you.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

6/20/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 57 seconds

Dawn French has been one of Britain’s best-loved comedians since the mid-1980’s when her double act with Jennifer Saunders became a prime time television hit. She became even more famous as the star of The Vicar of Dibley and has gone on to write books, tour solo and write, produce and perform in television comedy and drama.William Sitwell is a restaurant critic and food writer whose appearances on MasterChef and controversial comments about veganism have propelled him into the spotlight. His new book The Restaurant: A History of Eating Out allows us to dine out vicariously whilst the chefs’ kitchens remain closed.Isobel Midnight was working in a care home when her sister booked her onto a beginners fire eating course. A few years later Isobel became a professional performer and last year she won two Guinness World Records for fire eating.Saturday Live listener Jolene Jessiman shares the story of her great-grandmother Carrie Baliol who played for the first ever Scottish women’s football team in 1881.And playwright and director Alan Ayckbourn shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

6/13/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 28 seconds

Richard Coles and Kate Silverton are joined by Gabby Logan who has covered most of the major sporting events in football, rugby and athletics and been a trailblazer for women in sport. Her own sporting credentials are impeccable : she’s the daughter of professional footballer and manager Terry Yorath, married to rugby international Kenny Logan and was also an international competitor in rhythmic gymnastics. Carl Austin-Behan left a promising career in the RAF in the late 90s after his military superiors discovered he was gay. Since then he started his own business, won the Mr Gay UK contest and became the youngest person to ever hold the office of Lord Mayor of Manchester. Comedian and actress Natasha Demetriou is well known for her role as a Nadja, an ancient vampire trying to cope with life in modern day New York in the comedy What We Do In The Shadows. However her latest project lets her out into the daylight, as she presents the Big Flower Fight, a surreal competition for avant-garde florists who make huge sculptures from flowers. Ross Edgley is a man who likes a challenge, the more extreme the better. He discusses why he chose to be the first person to swim around the coastline of Britain and how mental resilience is a quality that can be learnt. And writer Dame Marina Warner shares her Inheritance Tracks: Si mi chiamo Mimi from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini and Sonata No. 3 in A major, op. 69 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Producer: Steven WilliamsEditor: Eleanor Garland

6/6/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 20 seconds

This week Richard Coles and Kate Silverton are joined by Ricky Wilson, the lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs. The band’s hits include I Predict A Riot and Ruby and last year they released their seventh album, Duck. Ricky was a judge on The Voice and now presents the Pop Detectives podcast with Tony Blackburn.Jack Monroe was an unemployed single parent living in poverty when she started a blog called A Girl Called Jack which described cooking nutritious meals for her family on a tiny budget. She is now a well-known cookery writer and campaigner, whose ability to knock up delicious food with limited ingredients has come into its own during the lockdown.Sandra Palmer dreamed of being a fashion designer as a child. Her father Fritz had been a tailor in Jamaica before moving to Birmingham where he worked as a lorry driver. He would sew the dancing costumes Sandra designed as child and after Fritz died in 1999, Sandra decided to keep his legacy alive.Richard Keenan was told that he was adopted when he was nine. After training as both a priest and a police offer, he waited until he was 40 to find his birth parents. Using his police skills to track them down, Richard discovered his birth family and the surprising story of his biological parents’ relationship. And Inheritance Tracks this week from playwright Mark Ravenhill.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

5/30/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 24 seconds

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Kirstie Allsopp - she has been in our living rooms, stepping into other people’s living rooms, and generally exploring their houses, for 20 years via TV's Location, Location, Location. She’s also embraced the nation’s obsession with crafts with programmes such as Kirstie's Homemade Home, Kirstie's Homemade Christmas, and most recently Keep Crafting and Carry on. She joins us.We also have Paul O’Grady, first known to us as Lily Savage, comedian from Birkenhead, dog lover, small holding owner, national treasure.And Esther Safran Foer, the daughter of a holocaust survivor who returned to Ukraine to meet the family who saved her father's life.And Kelly Smith, MBE, who holds the record for being the top scorer for England women with 46 goals in 117 appearances. She fought against prejudice but went on to play for England, Arsenal and in the US and since her retirement in 2017, has been a commentator and pundit on both the women’s and men’s games. There are the Inheritance tracks of Radio 4 favourite John Humphrys - he chooses Mary's Boy Child performed by Harry Belafonte and Take the A Train performed by Duke Ellington, and your "thank you"!Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

5/23/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 25 seconds

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Kathy Burke who became a household name in the 1990’s for her comedy roles in Harry Enfield and Chums, Absolutely Fabulous and Gimme Gimme Gimme. She won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 for her performance in Nil By Mouth and is now a theatre director and writer. Dan Jones is an author of bestselling books on English history including The Plantagenets, The Wars of the Roses, and now the 20th Century. His historical sweep is broad, as is his career, which has included writing about men’s health and exercise, interviewing A-list celebrities and a regular sports column in the Evening Standard. Jessie Knight is currently juggling being a primary school teacher with training as a champion 400m runner. In the past it was a combination that Jessie found impossible, retiring early from her sport only to change her mind, resume training and go on to win the 400metres at the British Indoor Championships in February. Listener Sharon Yamamoto White tells the story of parents, who met in a US Japanese internment camp during the Second World War And film director Carol Morley shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

5/16/2020 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 9 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by Sarah Millican, one of the most successful women working in comedy in the UK, Sarah Dodd, a medic in the NHS who in her freetime has completed over 1675 escape rooms and who now competes in an international team of escape room enthusiasts and writer Helen Moat discusses her bicycle journey from Rotterdam to Istanbul and the healing benefits of slow travel. Plus actor Joe Tracini who has become a hit on social media after creating hilarious dance videos for those wishing to limber up during the lock down. We have the Inheritance Tracks of Police drummer Stewart Copeland who chooses Aaron Copland's Hoe Down from Rodeo and Spanish Castle Magic by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus your thank yous. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

5/9/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 13 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by writer Marian Keyes, who has just published her 14th novel and has over 30 million of her books sold to date in 36 languages. Also with us is Tori Amos, the Grammy nominated singer-songwriter who has made 15 studio albums, sold 15 million records and also branched off into the worlds of classical music and musical theatre. John Partridge is known for his contribution to EastEnders and Celebrity MasterChef - which he won - he'll be talking about how cooking helped him through difficult stages of his life.And Flavian Obiero, the Sussex pig farmer who arrived in the UK from Kenya aged 15 and, as a keen sportsman, entered Britain's Fittest Farmer competition.We have the Inheritance Tracks of DJ and presenter Janice Long who chooses Happiness performed by Ken Dodd and Love Song by The Cure, and your thank yous. Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

5/2/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Clare Balding who found success as a racing correspondent and since then has presented the Olympics 6 times as well as numerous other chat shows, documentaries and programmes about biking and walking. She has now added dogs to her list of interests and has launched her own “Dogcast”.The actor Daniel Mays has won widespread critical acclaim for roles in a diverse range of films, television and theatre productions, from Mike Leigh’s Palme d’Or nominated All or Nothing and Vera Drake to the hit police drama Line of Duty, Mother’s Day in which he portrayed Colin Parry, whose son Tim was murdered by the IRA in Warrington. His latest role is in the new Sky buddy-cop comedy Code 404, with Stephen Graham. Laura Dockrill is an author, illustrator and performance poet whose first adult book What Have I Done? is a memoir of her experience of postnatal psychosis.And Bernard Bibby who has recently earned the extraordinary achievement of passing his Grade 1 ballet exam at the age of 75. We have the Inheritance Tracks of Jules Buckley who chooses Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley and Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

4/25/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 55 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Alexandra Shulman, former editor of Vogue, who produced the magazine for 25 years and has now published a book about her life at the top, the pressures she faced and her love of clothes. Comedian Joe Lycett explains why he legally changed his name to Hugo Boss and back again. Commercial pilot Kate Burrows shares her story of surviving a crash landing in the Irish Sea and how she went on to become a member of the Goldfish Club. Natural history TV director Benedict MacDonald reveals the lengths he goes to bring nature programmes to our screens and also his mission to re-wild the British Isles. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch who chooses Snake Hip Swing by Ken Snake Hips Johnson and Pf Fat by Steve Williamson Feat. Black Thought (the Roots). Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

4/18/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 28 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Claudia Winkleman, one of our best known TV and radio presenters, known for her sharp wit and self deprecating humour not to say her thick black fringe, presenter of Strictly, Radio 2, podcast with Tanya Byron amongst many other things, she joins us on Saturday Live. We also have Comic actor/ writer Robert Webb, from Peep show, Back, Mitchell and Webb, Confetti, dancing Flashdance to win Let's Dance for Comic relief, memoirist and now with his first novel.and accountant Zahrah Mahmood was dismayed when her friends from her accountancy course took her hillwalking as a birthday present to take her mind off a difficult exam four years ago. But despite huffing and puffing to the top of Ben Lomond in a heavy scarf that first August day, hillwalking would become the hobby she turned to when things were tough. and Andy McMillan is a listener who is one of only 3 professional model train makers in the UK. He's been 40 years in the business.We have the Inheritance Tracks of Christian Louboutin who chooses Tina Turner’s Proud Mary and The Fugees’ Killing me Softly.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

4/11/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 6 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by former professional footballer turned sports broadcaster Gary Lineker. During his playing career he played for Leicester, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham and Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight and was famously never booked. He has presented the BBC flagship show Match of the Day since 1999 and now has a 5Live Match of the Day (MOTD) podcast with fellow pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, who meet up in Gary's kitchen for weekly debates about football.Roland Gift was the lead singer of 80’s chart-topping band Fine Young Cannibals and, following his debut role in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, he went on to have a successful acting career. Roland has now written and is starring in Return To Vegas, a musical drama for BBC Radio 4. Clare Pooley is an author and the blogger behind Mummy was a Secret Drinker. Five years ago, despite appearing to be a glossy PR manager who had it all, she realised she was an alcoholic. But how do you tell the truth about your life? Clare started writing a blog charting her alcoholism and new sober life. Sharing the most difficult part of her story became the inspiration for her new novel, The Authenticity Project.Rachael Campey was experiencing bullying and mental health problems when she became pregnant as a teenager. Now 21, she has graduated from university and has been nominated for the Inspirational Individual gong in the Yorkshire Choice 2020 Awards for her work in mental health support. And actor Michelle Collins shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland.

4/4/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 23 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by six time Olympic Champion, Sir Chris Hoy, who discusses the inspiration behind his career, retirement and writing children’s books. Ruth Linton is a grandmother from Manchester who became a stand up comedian after being treated for a brain tumour.Saturday Live listener and former high-flying police officer James Ellson reveals why he left the challenging streets of Moss Side to become a smallholder and writer of crime fiction and actor Mim Shaikh discusses why he joined a pilgrimage from Belgrade to Istanbul. Plus broadcaster Johnnie Walker shares his inheritance tracks. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

3/28/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 11 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined on the line by Sir Bob Geldof, of The Boomtown Rats, who left Dun Laoghaire for London, became known for punchy hits and outspoken interviews, then creating Band Aid and Live Aid.We also have Kelda Wood, who, in her mid twenties suffered a life changing injury and she has just become the first para athlete to row solo across the Atlantic. Derrick Osaze is ‘the punching preacher’ – last year he became Ultimate Boxxer III middleweight champion and was ordained as a minister. He joins us.Mary Wood, on her experience as a police officer of looking after a foundling for 24 hours, 25 years ago.And the inheritance tracks of Martina Cole who chooses Galway Bay, performed by Ruby Murray and Word on a Wing by David Bowie And your thank yous. Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/21/2020 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 5 seconds

Neil Morrissey became a household name in the 1990’s playing Tony in sitcom Men Behaving Badly. As the voice of Bob the Builder he had two number one singles in the UK Charts and now combines acting with running pubs.Alice Morrison is an adventurer who lives and (mostly!) explores in Morocco. She was previously a BBC news editor. She’s travelled extensively in the region, most recently completing a 78-day trek across the Saharan desert with three Berber companions and six camels, receiving help from nomads, and walking through areas of quicksand and landmines.As a teenager who was suffering from depression, Matt Wesolowski was drawn to goth culture and wrote fiction involving vampires and monsters. He is now a bestselling author but has kept his day job teaching English to young people in Pupil Referral Units.Nadia Finer is a business coach with a small voice. The kind of small voice that once made another mum at the school gates tell her own mum that ‘she ought to get that sorted out’, and which led to Nadia avoiding speaking in public for most of her adolescence and twenties. Now she’s embracing her shyness and by founding the Shy and Mighty Society and challenging herself to live in a bigger way.And singer Jane McDonald shares her Inheritance Tracks - Downtown by Petula Clark and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/14/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Jo Whiley joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles. Jo presents on Radio 2 and from Glastonbury, as well as pursing her passion for gardening. A competitive swimmer in her youth, she is about to take on the triathlon for Sport Relief. Saturday Live listener Deborah Rowland, who trained as an archaeologist and an anthropologist, describes how she uncovered her own human heritage when she tracked down her birth parents. When Ryan Riley’s mum Krista was diagnosed with terminal small cell lung cancer, he cared for her for two years. In that time chemotherapy and radiotherapy dulled her sense of taste and she couldn’t enjoy food. After she died, Ryan had a life changing moment and decided to set up a cookery school for people like his mum.Adapted from his memoir, Greetings From Bury Park, the feature film Blinded by the Light tells the story of Javed (Sarfraz Manzoor), a British Muslim teenager growing up in Luton and how he finds inspiration and hope in the unlikely form of Bruce Springsteen. Sarfraz explains how this has inspired his new show at the Leicester Square Theatre, Blinded by the Light – The True Story.Dame Kristin Scott Thomas shares her Inheritance Tracks – These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, by Nancy Sinatra; and The Planets - Mars, The Bringer Of War, by Holst.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: John Goudie

3/7/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Joanna Trollope CBE, who has 22 novels to her name. A keen observer of our life and times, she is also the fifth-generation niece of Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope, has chaired awards, judged literature prizes and updated Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. We also have Jason Watkins, the BAFTA winning actor who played Harold Wilson in The Crown, also starred in Nativity!, W1A, Line of Duty, Being Human and now McDonald & Dodds, two feature length detective police dramas. He is also a patron for Child Bereavement UK, following the death of his 2 year old daughter from Sepsis. At the age of 35, Saturday Live listener Raphaël Kopel wanted to play football, but never having played before he found he was shunned on the pitch and struggled to improve. So, he decided to learn how to play, and then trained as a coach for other people, like him, who never learned as a child. He joins us.Claire Nelson never imagined one of those terrifying stranded-in-the-desert ordeals could happen to her. Then, hiking in Joshua Tree national park, she fell from a boulder and shattered her hip, finding herself immobile and alone in a sun-baked wilderness. She's in the studio.We have the inheritance tracks of Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo who chooses Run to the Sun by NERD and Everything is Everything by Lauren Hill, and your thank yous. Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/29/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

Actor, writer and director Zawe Ashton’s career began at the age of six and, having appeared on stage and in films ever since, it was the TV role of Vod in Fresh Meat that made her famous. She has since appeared in Hollywood films, had her play For All the Women Who Thought They were Mad performed in New York and London and has published Character Breakdown, an account of her life as a young actor.Amit Patel was a busy 33 year-old A&E doctor when he completely lost his sight over a 36-hour period, just 18 months after getting married. He hit rock bottom, and didn’t leave his home for three months. That’s when Kika came into his life – a guide dog who had been labelled as ‘difficult’.Jewellery maker and metalworker Bob Rowberry spent the 1960s and 70s importing Afghan coats which appeared in Vogue and holding Eric Capton’s hat as he busked. He now lives off-grid in an old school bus, growing his own produce and teaching his craft.Eleanor Wood is a writer from Brighton who, aged 32, felt like her life was falling apart. Her stepmum had died, her stepdad left her mum, and she broke up with her boyfriend of 12 years. So she started leaning on her best girlfriend, who taught her to be resilient, and staunch – and who also happened to be her nan. This led to a girls holiday to Goa with her nan and her two great-aunts.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/22/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the film director, DJ and musician Don Letts. He talks about being the son of Windrush, scion of dub and midwife of punk-reggae. Molly Case is a nurse specialist in cardiac care and a slam poet, who wowed the Royal College of Nursing conference with a spoken word performance that made headlines. She explains what inspired her to make the switch from English to medicine. Barry Dring lived a double life: oil trader by day, skateboarder by night. He describes how, since becoming a father, he’s discovered a new passion – for crochet.Bridget Anderson grew up in Newport in South Wales, with mixed Welsh Burmese heritage. She recalls her grandmother’s wonderful stories of Burma, and fantastic cooking from Balachaung to Dahl and Wonton Pick-me-up-Soup.Robert Carlyle shares his Inheritance Tracks: Watching the Wheels, by John Lennon and Waiting on a Friend by The Rolling Stones.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/15/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 33 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Tracey Thorn, who escaped from suburbia, went to Hull University and emerged as one half of pop group Everything but the Girl. Her latest book details the influence of her background on her journey – not least how boredom was for her a catalyst for creativity. She joins us on Saturday Live. Jenny Tong went from rebellious childhood and repeated school exclusions to trying weightlifting at University where she was doing an International Relations and Politics degree. Today she holds three British Under-23 records and finished fifth at the European Youth Championships in Romania. She joins us.We also have Monty Halls, who left the Royal marines when he realised his passion was the marine part – he retrained as a marine biologist and has done expeditions and documentaries about marine life ever since. His latest one sees him take his whole family with him, to the Galapagos islands.Stephen Saunders learnt to fly after he lost a leg in an accident – then he flew a hot air balloon under Clifton Suspension bridge. He’s also a Saturday Live listener – he joins us. Ainsley Harriot chooses his Inheritance Tracks - Be My Life’s Companion performed by The Mills Brothers and I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl performed by Nina Simone. And we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/8/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 19 seconds

Frances Barber first played rock star, screen goddess and drug addict Billie Trix 18 years ago and, along with Jonathan Harvey and the Pet Shop Boys, she is set to reprise the role in cabaret Musik.Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse began as two Instagram posts called “help” and “kind” that were shared a million times. They have been included in a book of life lessons that has become a surprise bestseller here and in the US.Steve Smith is one of America’s most experienced astronauts. He has taken part in four missions and performed seven space walks, including five to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.Rosie Wilby is a comedian and "love researcher" who presents The Break-Up Monologues podcast.And Emeli Sande shares her Inheritance Tracks - Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and Elgar's Cello Concerto performed by Jacqueline Du Pre.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/1/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Kay Mellor was a married mother at 16, and by her twenties had found her way to Bretton Hall College to study drama. An actor, director and screenwriter, she started on Coronation Street, before writing such TV classics as Fat Friends and Band of Gold, which she has now adapted for the stage. Paul Olima was born in Dublin. He played football professionally, before taking up sports modelling. He explains how he became a body double, standing in for the likes of Mario Balotelli, Usain Bolt and Anthony Joshua. Former bus driver, Justin Finlayson, converted a red London bus into a mobile recording studio for the benefit of young people in caught up in gang culture in north west London. Saturday Live listener, Susan Moore, recalls growing up on a bus, converted by her father, a pioneer of pirate radio. She recalls how the family invited musicians to live in the family home to train as rock and roll stars and then put on dances around the country,Duff McKagan, bass player in Guns N’ Roses, reveals his Inheritance Tracks: Funk 49 by The James Gang and Little Doll, by The Stooges.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/25/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 17 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein are joined by former Special Forces sniper, Ant Middleton, now star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, where ex-Special Forces soldiers put civilian recruits through their paces, SAS style. Andrew Garrido was desperate to play the piano. He couldn't afford lessons, but undeterred, he made a keyboard out of paper and taught himself and is now studying at the Guildhall School of Music.Jane Couch took part in unregulated boxing matches for years – sometimes against men - before taking the British Boxing Board of Control to court in 1998 and winning, becoming the first British licensed female boxer.Listener Ellie Somme grew up with stories of her father’s work in the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War, but it wasn’t until he died that she discovered an archive of secret papers and realised the extent of his historical importance to the resistance movement. The inheritance tracks of Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of the Young Vic, who chooses Sugar Bum Bum by Lord Kitchener and What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye.And a listener thanks someone they were unable to thank at the time.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/18/2020 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Fay Ripley. Most famous for playing Jenny, her northern counterpart, in TV’s Cold Feet, the series started 24 years ago and continues next week. The actor also cooks - she has written 3 cookbooks, drives fast, has had a chat show and likes to try her hand at anything she fancies. Sam Jalloh, who left Sierra Leone to play tennis, which he learnt playing barefoot and with a plywood raquet. Dr Zoe Williams played Amazon in TV's Gladiators, whilst studying to be a doctor. Now a GP, she is also a TV doctor and health educator.Christabel Carlisle (now Lady Christabel Watson) was a motor-racing pioneer, racing Saloon cars in the sixties (1960-63), competing against men, including some of the big names in the sport - Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jack Brabham - at tracks from Silverstone to the famous Nurburgring. We have the inheritance tracks of Golden Globe winner Brian Cox, who chooses Sonny boy performed by Al Jolson, and God Only Knows performed by the Beach Boys. And a listener thanks someone they were unable to thank at the time.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/17/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Crime novelist Kathy Reich’s famous heroine is Temperance Brennan, an academic anthropologist turned forensic anthropologist, much like Kathy herself. Her latest novel, A Conspiracy of Bones, is published this year and Kathy joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein.Mike Bushell has made a career out of his hobbies; he famously holds the world record for participating in the greatest number of different sports on his Saturday morning slot on BBC Breakfast. He can now add ballroom dancing to the list as part of the Strictly 2019 line-up and 2020 tour.After huge roles on TV and at the Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre, this month actor Adjoa Andoh returns to The Archers and takes a leading role in Silent Witness which starts this week. And after three years of training, she has recently become a “reader licensed by the bishop” in the Church of England.Andrew Gregory had a successful career as a hairdresser until a motorbike accident 18 years ago resulted in his lower leg being amputated. He’s now become a parapole athlete, winning a gold medal at the International Pole Sports World Championship and has been named “pole athlete of the year”.And Paul O'Grady shares his Inheritance Tracks - Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum and A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody by Sonny Lester.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/4/2020 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

The writer and poet Michael Rosen joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein. He shares his discoveries of a lost family found, the importance of play, and tells us how to eat a bagel.Back by popular demand: the cook Julia Georgallis, gives advice on ‘How to eat your Christmas tree’. Incurable romantic, William Cash, explains why he has a treasure trove of more than a thousand love letters, archived in a pig shed, and how restoring his family home helped him deal with heartbreak.Inspired by her experience of suddenly losing her mother, who ‘took her precious memories with her’, Bryher Scudamore set up an online template – autodotbiography. She describes how inheriting a wallet containing letters written by her great-grandfather, led to discovering surprising stories of his life just after the American Civil War.And Frank Skinner shares his Inheritance Tracks - Winter Wonderland, performed by Dean Martin and George Formby singing Why Women Don’t Like Me.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/28/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 7 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein are joined by Ruth Jones, who co-wrote and starred in one of our most loved TV comedies: Gavin and Stacey, which seemingly ended after 3 successful series, almost ten years ago. However, in May her co-writer & co-star James Corden announced they’d be back this year for a Christmas Special, and there are only 4 more days to wait as it airs on Christmas Day. Gloria Stewart will be here - the Yorkshirewoman organises a huge dinner every year for those lonely at Christmas.Also with us is William Hartston, mathematician, sloth enthusiast, chess player, Goggleboxer and puzzler, who will be setting some challenges on the programme.And Kieran Sandwell set off three years ago with a new heart to walk around Britain - 5,000 miles later, he's done it.We have the Inheritance Tracks of pianist Stephen Hough who chooses Chopin Etudes opus 25 no 1 in A flat major and A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten and your thank yous.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/21/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 21 seconds

Jason Manford began his stand up career at the age of 17 and was nominated for the Perrier Award in Edinburgh in 2005 at just 24. As he embarks on a starring role in the West End run of Curtains, Jason tells Suzy Klein and Aasmah Mir why he won't be pigeonholed.Justin Myers had been secretly detailing his romantic encounters and reviewing dates in the Blind Date column in the Guardian Weekend Magazine on his blog The Guyliner for ten years. Then he began to receive messages threatening to reveal his true identity. After deciding to unmask himself, Justin’s career has taken off; he published his first novel, The Last Romeo, in 2018 and his second novel The Magnificent Sons will published in May 2020. Esther Rutter grew up on a sheep farm in Suffolk, where she learned to knit at the age of seven. She’s been an enthusiastic knitter ever since and last year, she set out to write a history of the craft, a journey which took her across the country, from Shetland to Guernsey.Lara Band is a listener who emailed Saturday Live about her unusual hobby - creating dioramas of Pre-Raphaelite paintings using mummified rodents. Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/14/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

Actor and comedian Ben Miller joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein to talk about why he chose comedy over physics and about his new children's book, The Boy Who Made The World A Disappear, in which the main character is inspired by his son.Zena Cooper was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome, a genetic condition which affected her eyesight to the extent that she hid her blindness from family and friends for over thirty years.Emily Chappell went from cycle courier to endurance cyclist, entering the Transcontinental, a 4,000km race across Europe, which is considered one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges. She only made it halfway – but the following year, she entered the race again and won.Dancer, actor and choreographer, Adam Cooper leapt to fame as The Swan in Matthew Bourne’s ground breaking production of Swan Lake in 1995, and now returns after twenty years in another Bourne franchise, The Red Shoes, the 1948 film by Powell and Pressburger based on a Hans Christian Andersen tale, at London’s Sadler’s Wells.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of children’s author Eoin Colfer who chooses - Get Down Make Love by Queen and Kindling (Fickle Flame) by Elbow feat. John Grant.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/7/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Barbara Taylor Bradford who has just published her 37th book. Age 15 she started in the typing pool for a newspaper and was in Fleet Street as a reporter age 20. She published her first novel, A Woman of Substance, in 1979 and has sold 90 million books world wide. Also in the studio is David Loftus, who is a lone identical twin whose brother John died shortly after their 24th birthday. At the start of 2018 he set himself the challenge of writing a daily memoir reflecting on the events of just over 30 years ago leading up to his brother’s tragic death.Brenda Edwards is with us - she finally realised her dream of performing on the stage by entering the X factor in her mid 30s and is now appearing on the West Endand Simon Yates who, during a climb up the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes, infamously cut the rope of his climbing partner Joe Simpson as depicted in the book, film and now play, Touching the Void.As well as your thank yous, we have the inheritance tracks of conductor and violinist Andre Rieu who chooses Sphärenklänge by Josef Strauss and What a Wonderful World performed by Louis Armstrong.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/30/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 21 seconds

Jazz/pop singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum joins Aasmah Mir and Mobeen Azhar. He talks about his music, and the personal stories that inspired his latest album Taller, his family and what's been passed down through the generations.Mark Bright tells his story of from foster care to football to reach the FA Cup in 1990.Alice Gorman AKA ‘Dr Space Junk’ is an archaeologist who’s made it her mission to explore artefacts that mankind has left in space. She describes how growing up on a farm in Australia inspired her passion. Nicola Wren wants to be not just a star – but a superstar – and she will NOT let her four siblings and her world-famous brother get in the way.And Dan Snow chooses his Inheritance Tracks - Slide Away by Oasis, and Mr. Brightside by The Killers.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell

11/23/2019 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 47 seconds

This year marks Lorraine Kelly's 35th year as a broadcaster and her 60th birthday. Born in the Gorbals to teenage parents, Lorraine took a job at her local newspaper instead of a place at university and, despite being sacked while on maternity leave, is now one of Britain’s best known television presenters. Her new book Shine shares her secrets for success.Amy Powney, creative director of sustainable fashion label Mother of Pearl, spent much of her childhood without mains electricity or running water when her parents sold their house to live off-grid in rural Lancashire. Despite being taken to school in a handmade trailer and having requests for tracksuits denied, Amy found that her parents approach to ethical living had influenced her when she began a career in fashion.Professor Adam M Hill MB PhD is a dual-qualified Clinician and Mechanical Engineer with a military background and a career built at the interface of industry, academia and health systems. Adam is the Chief Executive Officer at immuno-diagnostics company Oncimmune, a company who are trailing new ways to detect cancer, but he has previously worked for the McClaren F1 team and has served in the Household Cavalry.Carol Bates' mum Vivien Grant contacted us after hearing our interview with former footballer Casey Stoney, talking about her struggles to play the game she loved. Carol is from the generation of girls who weren’t able to play football at school or elsewhere and it wasn’t until she set up her own team at the age of 48, that she fulfilled her dream.For Inheritance Tracks this week, actor Toby Stephens chooses You Are In My Vision by Gary Numan and Tubeway Army and She Belongs To Me by Bob Dylan.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/16/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Mobeen Azhar are joined by Greg James, who started recording shows in his bedroom, did hospital radio, student radio, podcasts, and his passion has paid off as last year he became host of the Radio 1 Breakfast show, which has pulled in 250,000 new listeners in his first year. Casey Stoney was Captain of England Women and is now Head Coach to Manchester United Women, she joins us to talk about being a trailblazer for the women’s game. Age 4 Amar Latif learnt that he would go blind, his eyesight deteriorated during his childhood and he had 95% sight loss age 18. After working as a successful finance manager for ten years, he changed career in order to fulfil his love of adventure travel and set up his own business for blind and sighted travellers. He joins us.We'll speak to Xenia Karayiannis was separated from her mother age 3 following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and would not be reunited with her until she was 17; and also to 18 year old Emma who is in Wales doing the CIN Rickshaw Challenge.For Inheritance Tracks this week, writer Jojo Moyes chooses She’s Leaving Home by The Beatles and Are You Lonesome Tonight (the laughing version) performed by Elvis Presley, and we have your Thank Yous.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/9/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Dave Myers - one half of the Hairy Bikers – cooks and rides motorbikes, but he also studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, worked as a furnace-man in a steelworks and as a make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics. Alongside Si King they’ve sold almost six million books and grown a generation of fans who like real home-cooked food.Saturday Live listener, 80-year-old Crawford Mackie, is aiming to break his own 5k record today at Parkrun, attempting it in a new pair of running shoes. When Tim Clark’s father, Sir Robert Clark, died in 2013 Tim discovered he had served in the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, ‘Churchill’s Secret Army’, and undertook amazingly brave operations behind enemy lines. His father was a war hero, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.In 2010, powerboat racer Shelley Jory-Leigh was competing for the world title when she crashed in Sardinia. The boat sunk to a depth of 85 metres but she and her co-driver were saved just in time. Shelley made a comeback and broke a National Speed Record on Coniston Water and competed in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes marathon race, becoming the highest ranked British female finisher ever. Writer Dawn O’Porter came to our attention as a documentary maker - on polygamy, childbirth, and the inexhaustible riches of the film Dirty Dancing. She became a full time writer after moving to Los Angeles with her film star husband Chris O’Dowd, and writes bestselling and critically acclaimed novels while dressed in items from her extensive wardrobe of vintage 70s couture. The DJ and musical pioneer Norman Jay MBE shares his Inheritance Tracks – Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole and Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/2/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 11 seconds

Saxophonist, MC and composer, Soweto Kinch fuzzes jazz with hip hop beats. He premieres his new album, The Black Peril at the EFG London Jazz Festival, which highlights the episodes of racial tension 100 years ago in coastal cities from Liverpool to Cardiff and South Shields. Artist and biographer Keggie Carew's account of her extraordinary father’s life, Dadland, won the Costa biography Prize and became a best seller. Her new book, Quicksand Tales, features stories from her own adventurous - and occasionally misadaventurous life.Retired geography teacher Helen Rennie has skied every month of the year for the last 10 years in the Cairngorms.Listener Ron Singh formed the band Kissmet, fusing Bhangra with Led Zeppelin, with his brothers, after being inspired by childhood visits to the family's Indian cinema in Peterborough.Cameraman Lindsay McCrae spent eleven months in the Antarctic filming Emperor penguins for the David Attenborough series Dynasties, which won him a BAFTA, but in doing so, missed the birth of his first child. He publishes the book, My Penguin Year.Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye and YouTube series Gay of Thrones, shares his Inheritance Tracks - You Gotta Be by Des'ree and Big Dream by Jazmine Sullivan.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Beverley Purcell

10/26/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by the actor David Suchet who has been taking photographs since he was eight when his Fleet Street photographer grandfather passed on his knowledge. His new book Behind the Lens: My Life is a collection of David’s photographs.Listener Kathryn Penny reports back from the 50th anniversary reunion of the Commonwealth Expedition which involved twenty coach loads of British students setting of for India. 'Serial innovator' Samantha Moyo wanted a break from her hedonistic lifestyle and organised the first Morning Gloryville 6am sober rave in 2013. They are now staged in 23 locations world wide.BBC weather presenter and meteorologist Simon King on his lifelong weather obsession and new book What Does Rain Smell Like? And we have the Inheritance Tracks of actor Kelly Macdonald who chooses You are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis and I Love You by Woodkid.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/19/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by travel documentary maker Simon Reeve who has come a long way since leaving school with no qualifications; he wrote a book on international terrorism and his latest series is on The Americas.Also, Kate Young who was homesick for her native Australia when she decided to cook a comforting dish described in Harry Potter. It led to more literary dishes, a blog and a book. Jeroen Olyslaegers is an award-winning author from Antwerp. His latest book Will was inspired by stories from his own family, in particular his Grandfather who was a Nazi collaborator during WWII. He joins us, along with Lucy Mathen who contacted us with her own extraordinary story - she was the first Asian reporter on Newsround, and went on to retrain as an ophthalmologist, founding a charity to treat eye problems in India.We have the Inheritance Tracks of TV stylist and presenter Gok Wan who chooses Top of the world by The Carpenters and Make your own kind of music performed by Cass Elliot. Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/12/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Harry Connick Jr, was brought up by lawyers in New Orleans, but it was the music of the city that inspired him. A child prodigy playing a Beethoven concerto at nine, a disaster singing to Sinatra at 22, then Harry Met Sally happened, and It Had To Be You, made him a star. He He is now celebrating the genius of Cole Porter. Paulette Constable grew up in Manchester, the youngest of eight children from a Windrush generation family. Following an early divorce, she became a club DJ in 1992, with residencies at The Hacienda, the Ministry of Sound, Heaven and Ibiza Rocks, but explains how family responsibility caught up with her and brought her home.Rachael Rogan gave up a career in marketing when she was diagnosed with cancer. She describes how, following treatment and strong community support, she decided to make a radical change to her life and to follow her passion – children’s books.Andrew Ridgeley - one half of Wham! recalls about meeting Georgios Kyiacos Panayiotou at school, discovering their shared passion for music, finding success and their enduring friendship.Danny Wallace shares his Inheritance Tracks - Sunshine on Leith by The Proclaimers, and Live Forever by Oasis.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/5/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the British crime writer Martina Cole, known to her fans as the Queen of Crime, with twenty-four novels to her name, fifteen of which have been No.1 bestsellers and translated into twenty-nine languages. Thomas Harding ran a local newspaper in West Virginia before returning to the UK to research his family history, which in one direction took him to his uncle Hanns, a Nazi hunter who tracked down the Auschwitz commandant, Rudolf Hoess. Now he has turned his attention to the other half of his family, who created the famous Lyons Corner Houses.Emily Chung co-founded, with her sister Amy, the pop-up Rangoon Sisters Burmese Supper Club between their shifts as doctors in the NHS. Justin Hawkins was a jingle writer and jobbing musician before forming rock band The Darkness. They had chart success with hits including I Believe in a Thing Called Love and Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) before the band disbanded in 2006. Five years later they reunited and have just released a new album Easter is Cancelled.Author and LGBT activist Armistead Maupin shares his Inheritance Tracks - Every Time We Say Goodbye by Cole Porter and sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Being Boring by Pet Shop Boys.Producer: Annette Wells

9/28/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 27 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Gerald Scarfe, one of our best known artists, caricaturing those in power, and also a production designer for theatre, ballet and opera and designer of animation sequences for Disney's Hercules and Pink Floyd’s The Wall.Liam Charles was the people’s champion of Bake Off 2017, and the youngest contestant in that series. He went from cake sales at sixth form to having his own cookery show, and presenting Bake Off The Professionals within three years. Goldie Puricelli has taught kids with dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism, for over twenty years, she’s also a member of the Magic Circle and incorporates those skills into her teaching work. Helen Zaltzman was an early adopter of the podcast, launching the award winning comedy podcast Answer Me This! with Olly Mann in 2007. In 2015 she began The Allusionist linguistics podcast, which was immediately named iTunes UK's best new podcast. Helen gave up her flat and has spent the last two years touring the world with her live show in which she uses her love of language to unpick gender stereotypes, crime reporting and vegan restaurant menus.We have your thank yous and folk singer Shirley Collins chooses Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughn Williams and A Denying - The Blacksmith performed by Shirley And Dolly Collins Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/21/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles talk to former SAS soldier Andy McNab. He was captured in Iraq while leading the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1991. His book on his ordeal became a bestseller - his first of many. His latest book "Get Me Out Of Here" is aimed at young readers.Children's book illustrator Axel Scheffler has given visual form to Julia Donaldson's characters The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Room on the Broom, A Squash and a Squeeze and many more. But if you find the Gruffalo scary, be aware that Axel's original version was even more menacing. His latest books are "Kind" and "The Smeds and the Smoos" - two stories about tolerance and inclusivity.Veronica Thompson goes by the stage name Fancy Chance when she performs aerial burlesque while hanging from her hair. Her show Flights of Fancy explores ideas of beauty and her feelings of alienation at having been abandoned as a baby on the doorstep of a South Korean police station.Actor and comedian Roisin Conaty shares her Inheritance Tracks.And listener Emma Wyatt-Haines talks about overcoming serious spinal injury to compete in an Iron Man contest.Presenters: Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard ColesProducer: Paul Waters

9/20/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Richard Ayoade became famous for playing Moss in the IT Crowd and went on to present Gadget Man, Travel Man and The Crystal Maze. He was nominated for a BAFTA for directing his first feature film Submarine and has directed music videos for Artic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend and Radiohead. Despite that, he describes himself primarily as a writer and his third book Ayoade on Top has just been published.Choreographer, dancer and artistic director Kevin Turner was spotted for his talent as a child. However, as his career soared, his mental health suffered. He describes how he used dance to recover and now coaches other mentally ill people in how to use movement to heal.When Isabel Vincent was in her 40s and living in New York, her friend Valerie suggested that she meet up with her 91 year-old father for dinner. To Isabel’s surprise they had an immediate spark and became best friends. She went to have dinner with him almost every week for five years until he died at 95-years old.Actor Amanda Abbington became a national hero when, as Mary Watson, she took a bullet for Sherlock. Her new play, The Son, explores the domestic struggle of divorce and depression and she joins us in the studio.And singer Marty Wilde shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/7/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by the actor Timothy Spall whose latest role is as LS Lowry. He describes his own passion for painting, the relationship between Lowry and his mother, and that with his own mother - who supported his acting ambitions.Footballer, Eniola Aluko won more than 100 caps for England. She explains how she started playing football on an estate in Birmingham as the only girl amongst a team of boys who named her Eddie. The pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason was spotted by Elton John and is now embarking on a brilliant career as a soloist and ensemble player. She describes life as the eldest of seven gifted musicians including brother Sheku who played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.The broadcaster, journalist and writer George Alagaiah, discusses his first thriller, which is set in post-apartheid South Africa from where he once reported. The actor and comedian Doon MacKichan shares her Inheritance Tracks - Parigi o Cara Ah Gran Dio, from La Traviata, performed by Luciano Pavarotti and Joan Sutherland and What Is and What Should Never Be by Led Zeppelin.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/31/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Kate Silverton and Luke Jones meet singer P.P. Arnold; artist Mackenzie Thorpe; poet Charly Cox and the Reverend Peter Allen. With Inheritance Tracks from conductor John Eliot Gardiner.Soul singer P.P. - Pat - Arnold found her voice as a young girl singing gospel songs in church. Her career took off when she joined the Ikettes - backing singers and dancers for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. When the Revue arrived in London Pat -nicknamed P.P. by photographer Gered Mankowitz -became a fixture on the London music scene, collaborating with everyone from Rod Stewart to the Small Faces. Her new album The New Adventures of P.P. Arnold is out now.This year Middlesbrough-born Mackenzie Thorpe celebrates 30 years as an artist. He is best known for his 'Square Sheep' series of works and 'Waiting for Me Dad' - a tribute to the men who worked in the industry of the area who crossed the town's transporter bridge to get to work and the families who waited for their return. He was the official artist for the Tour de Yorkshire 2019 and collectors of his work include the actor Tom Hardy, JK Rowling and Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth. Mackenzie Thorpe’s 30th year exhibition opens at his gallery, Arthaus, in Richmond, North Yorkshire on 14th September and his book, Out of the Shadows, is available now.Charly Cox is a poet whose writing focuses on destigmatizing mental health and the coming-of-age of a young woman surviving the modern world. In January 2017 she published her first poem on Instagram; since then she’s raised money and awareness for charities which tackle mental health issues. Dubbed social media’s answer to Carol Ann Duffy, she is an ambassador for MQ Mental Health and was named by ELLE magazine as one of their 20 power players to watch out for in 2018. Her second book, Validate Me, is out in September. Listener Reverend Peter Allen served as chaplain at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and chaplain for Sport in the diocese of Sheffield. During this time he opened up brand new chaplaincies in a variety of sports in the region including volleyball, ice hockey and boxing. He talks about his life in the church and how a youthful misdemeanour came back to haunt him.Conductor John Eliot Gardiner shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/24/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 17 seconds

Skin from Skunk Anansie made headlines this summer when it was pointed out that she was the first black British artist to headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, not Stormzy. That was in 1999 and Skunk Anansie were five years into an incredible run of chart hits such as “Weak”, “Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)” and “Charity”. Skin discusses her childhood, her career and what it was like being the only black, gay woman in the 1990’s music scene. Lisa Faulkner was scouted as a model at 16 before becoming an actor at the age of 20. She was well known for roles in Dangerfield, Brookside and Holby City before famously meeting a grisly end in Spooks. In 2010 she won Celebrity Masterchef, has since become a food writer and now co-presents John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen with her fiancé John Torode. She has published the memoir Meant To Be: My Journey to Motherhood which describes the death of her mother when Lisa was just 16 and her years navigating infertility, IVF and adoption. Joel Golby’s book Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant: Modern Life as Interpreted by Someone Who is Reasonably Bad at Living It describes how the journalist, whose father died when he was 15, became an adult orphan at the age of 25 when his mother died. He talks about the impact of the sudden and unwelcome intrusion of adult responsibility into his otherwise hedonistic life.Dr Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist, author and stand-up comedian. He wrote the international best -sellers The Idiot Brain and The Happy Brain. His new book for teenagers is called Why Your Parents Are Driving You Up The Wall and What To Do About It.Game of Thrones author George RR Martin shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/17/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds

Joe McFadden joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. He started out in the detective series Taggart and went on to star in Take The High Road, The Crow Road, Heartbeat and Holby City. In 2017 he won Strictly, and he describes why he is donning sparkles again - to appear as Tick/Mitzi in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.Gelong Thubten grew up in London and found himself in New York making a career as an actor. He explains how he ended up as a monk and a spiritual teacher, teaching meditation to clients including: the United Nations, Google, Her Majesty’s Prison Service, and the actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton. Victoria Nixon was spotted in Bond Street in London by the photographer Helmut Newton. She reminisces about working as an international model while grieving the loss of her entire family by the age of 24 – two by suicide. Colleen Blair became the first person to swim the Minch, the challenging stretch of water between the Inner Hebrides and the Scottish mainland. She also swam the English Channel when she was 20 and Loch Ness. She comes live from The Scottish National Open Water Championships at Loch Venachar.Professor Hugh Montgomery is a distinguished physician, known for his pioneering genetic research. He’s also climbed mountains, run ultra-marathons, and he holds the world record for playing a piano underwater. He reveals how he came to write a novel after a late night drinking session with Lynda La Plante.Susan Hill shares her Inheritance Tracks: The Sea Interludes from Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes, and Mozart’s Oboe concerto 3rd movement played by Nicholas Daniel. Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

8/10/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles are joined by the concert pianist and composer Stephen Hough. As an international performer he spends much of his life at airports, on planes and in hotel rooms and he talks about the thoughts and observations he has made during his travels which form his new book Rough Ideas.Cartoonist Michael Leunig explains how, after an unpromising start, he discovered he could draw and became Australia's 'national living treasure' thanks to his popular characters, Mr Curly, Vasco Pyjama and the Duck. Michael is appearing at the Greenbelt Festival in Northamptonshire later this month.Olivia Potts swapped a career as a criminal barrister to become a cook and food writer following the death of her mother. Baking became her comfort during this emotionally difficult time and her book A Half Baked Idea explores how going back to her mother's recipes helped her come to terms with her loss.Jackie Cornes tells the story of falling in love as a teenager and how she defied her disapproving parents and traveled half way across the world to follow her heart.And the playwright and director Stephen Poliakoff chooses his Inheritance Tracks: the Forsyte Saga theme by Eric Coates and Willow by Joan Armatrading.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Richard Hooper

8/3/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 35 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the actor, writer and director Simon Callow. He discusses his stage and screen career and how he’ll be performing at the WAWA Weekender to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wac Arts, a charity which empowers young people to change the world through the arts. Classical musician Hannah Rankin explains how the discipline of being a professional bassoonist has helped her to become the first female world boxing champion for Scotland at super-welterweight. Dave Goulson is Professor of Biological Science at the University of Sussex in Brighton and is a bumblebee expert, setting up the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Stand-up comedian Jayde Adams has worked as a fishmonger, doorwoman and Adele impersonator. She is taking her new show, The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And the Benin singer Angelique Kidjo chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Quimbara by Celia Cruz and Fire on the Mountain by Asa. She is performing a BBC Late Night Proms: on 30th July, at the Royal Albert Hall.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Richard Hooper

7/27/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Ainsley Harriott found fame as a chef on Ready Steady Cook, which he went on to present for ten years. He has since presented cookery programmes both here and in America and has sold over two million recipe books worldwide. In his latest book, Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, he explores the way that the different historical and cultural influences on the Caribbean islands have created a diverse and varied cuisine. He joins Richard and Aasmah.They are also joined by Petra Velzeboer who was born into The Children of God group. Petra cut ties with The Children of God when she became pregnant by a non-member at 23. Once Petra was outside, she initially struggled with alcoholism and serious mental health problems but she now has received a Master's degree, runs a successful business as a therapist and hosts a podcast in which she speaks with people who have overcome mental health issues. And Ella Dove was 25 when she went for a jog with her sister on a quiet Sunday morning. She fell badly and assumed that she had broken her leg but was shocked to discover she had fractured her knee so badly that she would need to have her leg amputated. After months recovering from the operation in a wheelchair at her parents’ house, Ella finally was able to move back to her flat in London and resume her job as a journalist at women’s magazines. She is now publishing her first novel, Five Steps to Happy, about a young woman struggling to come to terms with a serious injury.Producer: Laura NorthedgeEditor: Richard Hooper

7/20/2019 • 55 minutes, 51 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the former England cricketer and legendary spin bowler Graeme Swann. He discusses his sporting career, waltzing on Strictly and his upcoming tour with Henry Blofeld - Dancing Down the Wicket.Libby Liburd explains how her shows Muvahood and Fighter were inspired by her own personal life experience as a single mother and a female boxer.Christine Gould leads 50 volunteers at the Buxton Well Dressing Festival. She describes how these intricate mosaics of natural materials are painstakingly put together.Sarah Jane Douglas is an artist, and proud Munroist number 5864. She took up walking in the mountains after her mother’s death and scattered her ashes in the Himalayas. Guy Oliver reveals how a secret took him from a career with the Royal Navy to life as an interior designer – with projects from luxury hotels in Mayfair to adobe houses in Kabul.And the actor Michael Sheen chooses his Inheritance Tracks: O Superman by Laurie Anderson and A Design for Life by The Manic Street Preachers.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

7/13/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 43 seconds

Fresh from a neuroscience degree, she burst into our consciousness almost ten years ago with her club anthem track Heaven, and then Read all About it with Professor Green. She was the only artist to perform at the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics. Writing for other artists as well as a successful solo career, she is back with a new single and tour and album to follow. Emeli Sandé joins Richard and Aasmah. They also have Juliet Blaxland, who lives on the easternmost part of England, in a house - known as the Easternmost house - which is slowly getting closer and closer to the sea. Mindful of the end of her life in the house, Juliet wrote a diary of a year in this changing landscape. Lee John Phillips is drawing and logging every item of his late Grandfather's shed. He tells us about his extraordinary project.Alan Johnson grew up with a passion for music, and dreamed of becoming a rock star, but ended up joining the Post Office. He got involved with the Union of Post Office workers, and became their youngest ever general secretary in 1992. Five years later he became the Member of Parliament for Hull West and Hessle and later served in the Blair and Brown governments as work and pensions secretary, Trade and Industry Secretary, Education Secretary, Health Secretary and Home Secretary. And the Inheritance Tracks of Cricketer David Gower who chooses Tchaikovsky: 5th Symphony, 4th movement Andante Maestoso and Candle in the Wind by Elton John.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

7/6/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Tony Blackburn talks to Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles about spending over 50 years as a DJ. He is still working for 4 radio stations, plus touring his Sounds Of The 60s show. Starting at Radio Caroline, the presenter opened Radio 1 and other career highlights include winning I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Listener Red Szell shares his story of getting back into rock climbing after he lost his sight. Mary Hastings explains why her cancer diagnosis gave her the confidence to pursue her passion for singing. Luke Goss shares his Inheritance Tracks: U2, Where The Streets Have No Name and Bob Marley, One Love. Matt Pritchard talks about his journey from Dirty Sanchez stuntman to Dirty Vegan ultra-endurance athlete.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell

6/29/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 39 seconds

The filmmaker Gurinder Chadha – of Bend it Like Beckham fame - joins Rev. Richard Coles and Luke Jones. She continues her exploration of Britain and India’s intertwined story, this time in late 18th Century Delhi. She also shares her love for Bruce Springsteen songs and the joys of hot tubs. Morris dancer cum morris milliner, Carole Jeffery, talks to us enroute to the National Morris Weekend in Evesham. Academic and pigeon fancier Jon Day describes his passion, the parallels with parenting and notions of home. Listener Caroline Greville-Morris recalls making pop videos, designing pirate shirts for Adam Ant and being rescued by Kylie. And journalist Poorna Bell talks about her search for silence after the death of her husband, strengthening her strengthening her relationship with her parents and finding mental strength through powerlifting. Sir Michael Caine Shares his Inheritance Tracks: - My Old Man’s a Dustman, Lonnie Donegan and Comme D’habitude, Claude Francois.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell

6/22/2019 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 52 seconds

Benjamin Zephaniah talks to Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles about the origins of his passion for rhyme, music and country living. Marian Newman went from being a forensic scientist to a nail expert whose career highlights include the supermodel nails for the Olympics 2012 Closing Ceremony. A clip of Daniel Alston and his sisters appeared on the Radio 4 programme Rewinder - they recall their memories of Blue Peter coming round to tea. Former World Karate Champion Janice Francis-Irwin on the importance of martial arts and organising Caribbean tea parties. Professor Alice Roberts shares her Inheritance Tracks: A Whiter Shade Of Pale by Procol Harum and Ash, Girl from Mars. Writer Gabriel Bisset-Smith grew up in the 80’s, looking white but having a mixed-race mum. He talks about the impact this had and why drama school saved him.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell

6/15/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 8 seconds

Richard and Aasmah are joined by: Jo Brand, in comedy for over 30 years, trailblazing the way with her edgy humour at a time when there were very few women in standup. She came to comedy from psychiatric nursing and a strict upbringing. Listener and retired accountant Peter Barratt grew up hearing stories about his Great Grandmother Alice Hawkins who was a suffragette. 15 years ago he researched her story and has since completed 500 talks, including at Parliament and he now has one of the most complete collections of suffragette memorabilia in the UK still with descendants. Brought up in a strict religious household Lohani Noor ran away from home aged 15 and ended up in care, which is where her drive and ability to smash stereotypes began - she was a professional bodybuilder, trained as a plumber and now she is a TV psychotherapist. Matthew Walker is a renowned sleep scientist. Originally from Liverpool, his fascination with sleep has taken him from Nottingham University to Harvard and on to the University of California, Berkeley, where he is currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology and Director of the Centre for Human Sleep Science. Tractor Fest is the largest outdoor Tractor Festival in the UK. This year it has a 1940s theme, with displays of vintage tractors from the era, including the Fordson N: ‘the tractor that won the war’ and was widely used by the RAF for plane towing, as well as by the Women’s Land Army. Kevin Watson, restorer of more than 20 vintage tractors joins us from there. Singer Bryn Terfel chooses his Inheritance Tracks - Hen Wlad fy Nhadau by James James and Eli Jenkin's Prayer from Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, music by AHD Troyte performed by Dunvant Male Voice Choir.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Beverley Purcell

6/8/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

Guest presenters Shaun Keaveny and Kate Silverton are joined by Anneka Rice. She reveals the story of Clemmie Hart, her fictional agent. Matthew Barley, the internationally renowned cellist, describes how a skiing accident transformed the way he plays.On the 50th anniversary of the John Lennon and Yoko’s Bed-In For Peace in Montreal, Saturday Live listener Gail Renard recalls her front row seat at rock and roll history.Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar winning filmmaker and husband to Tom Daley, talks about fatherhood and how growing up in a strict Mormon household shaped his determination to fight prejudice.And Paul Young shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses The Yellow Rose of Texas by Mitch Miller and These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell

6/1/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Arlene Phillips talks to presenters Aasmah Mir and Luke Jones about her life and career, which includes choreographing Elton John and founding dance troupe Hot Gossip. Björn Again's founder and Agnetha talk about their life on and off stage. Johnboy Smith explains how an unexpected injury led to him becoming a successful wheelchair racer. Greg James shares his Inheritance Tracks: This is The Sea by The Waterboys and Apply Some Pressure by Maximo Park. Eline van der Velden is a comedian and scientist - whose experiments often involve putting herself through socially awkward situations.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell

5/25/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 19 seconds

Richard and Aasmah are joined by Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, who began pursuing a pop career but drama took over with TV and theatre roles. As a writer, his first play won an award and his second transferred to the West End, he’s curated a World Festival of Black Arts and had an artistic directorship in Baltimore. Now he has been appointed Artistic Director of the Young Vic theatre in London.Caroline Crampton grew up sailing with her family at every opportunity, but it's only since a recent trip to sail down the Thames Estuary with her family that she got to really love it.Candice Brathwaite is a parenting blogger, Influencer and founder of Make Motherhood Diverse – an online initiative that aims to encourage a more accurately representative and diverse depiction of motherhood in the media.Edd China, mechanic on TV's Wheeler Dealers and the creator of numerous obscure vehicles including a road legal sofa. He has set Guinness World Records for the fastest furniture, shed, bathroom and bed, largest motorised shopping trolley and fastest electric amphibious vehicle and electric ice cream van.And as well as your thank yous, we have the Inheritance Tracks of Francis Rossi of Status Quo. He chooses the Everley Brothers’ Cathy’s Clown, and In the Army now by Bolland and Bolland.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Beverley Purcell

5/18/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 23 seconds

David Harewood – actor, snowboarder, Brummie, goalie – joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Best known for roles in Homeland, Blood Diamond, The Night Manager and currently Supergirl, he reveals why he has now made a documentary called ‘Psychosis and Me’. Saturday Live listener Sarah Wyndham Lewis explains why she became a honey sommelier. A calling all the more remarkable because she is allergic to bee stings. Blogger Laura Belbin describes what the sound of laughter means to her. Sindhu Vee started her career as a banker, but an email set her on the path to stand-up comedy. Dr Ranj Singh cast aside his scrubs for sequins for Strictly last year. He talks about his newly found passion for Latin dance and why, having struggled with his weight as a child, he's keen to promote healthy eating. Jodie Kidd shares her Inheritance Tracks: Money for Nothing performed by Dire Straits and No Woman No Cry, by Bob Marley. Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Richard Hooper

5/11/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 19 seconds

Gok Wan talks to Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles about his latest show Say Yes to the Dress Lancashire, DJ’ing, cooking and his lifelong passion for fashion. Listener Hilary Wynter talks about her experience playing doubles with the Empress of Japan, the wife of the Emperor who has just abdicated. As it's the 4th May - Star Wars Day - we have Star Wars superfan Michael Absalom. Singer-songwriter Nick Lowe shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Fatback Louisiana USA, by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Harlan County by Jim Ford. Pet Detective Colin Butcher – has just written a book about his working relationship with his rescue dog Molly – the UK (and Europe’s) only cat detection dog.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell

5/4/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes

Richard and Aasmah are joined by Dame Stephanie Shirley who arrived in the UK aged 5 as a refugee on the Kindertransport. She became a ground breaking IT entrepreneur who has since become a philanthropist and given over £60 million away. Her son inspired her to set up a school for children with Autism, and fund vital research. We also have Duff McKagan who joined Guns N' Roses as bass player aged 19 but only just survived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. He battled addiction by taking up martial arts and studied accountancy, writing books and his own music as well as touring again with the band. and Libby Page, who enjoyed water as a child but had become fearful of donning a swimsuit in her teens. She finally faced her fears and learnt to swim in her 20s and has discovered the meditative and therapeutic benefits of swimming, in particular, outdoors and it helped her get a publishing deal. and Paul Jacobs, a listener whose wife got in touch with us. A PE teacher in the same school for 29 years, he was voted Melton Mowbray’s sports personality of year 2016, and uses sport to inspire young people. We heard how he would “run a marathon, drive home and do the ironing”, so we had to meet him. TV presenter June Sarpong gives us her inheritance tracks which are Superwoman by Stevie Wonder and Love Train performed by The O'Jays.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Beverley Purcell

4/27/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 23 seconds

Patti Boulaye is a British-Nigerian singer, actress and artist. She recalls coming to London aged 16, and appearing on the west end stage in shows from HAIR to Carmen Jones, and talks about her new one woman show Aretha and Me.Creative movement director and choreographer Yami ‘Rowdy’ Lofvenberg won the UK Hip Hop Championships in 2010, and worked on the London 2012 opening ceremony. She was adopted from Colombia and grew up in Sweden, and she describes the difficulties growing up and returning to her birthplace.Landscape designer Adam Frost started his career with an apprenticeship with North Devon Parks Department. He has won seven Gold Medals at the Chelsea Flower Show and he explains how to build a garden from scratch. Christopher Somerville has written about his favourite cathedrals. He describes how his fascination with these great structures started while visiting Wells Cathedral at the age of six.Presented by Aasmah Mir and Luke Jones.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell

4/20/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds

Photographer, publisher and film director Rankin joins Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. He talks about swapping accountancy for photography, his career which includes photographing the Queen in 5 minutes, and the impact of having a child. Celebrating Record Store Day – we have Ashli Todd - owner of world’s oldest record store, Spillers in Cardiff. Journalist Babita Sharma recalls her experiences growing up in a corner shop. Alistair McGowan shares his Inheritance Tracks: Poem by Fibich performed by Alistair McGowan and Narcissus by Joyce Grenfell and Norman Wisdom. Writer and presenter Danny Wallace discusses family life, why he’s proud of ‘Join Me’ and random acts of kindness.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell

4/13/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 20 seconds

Ben Elton is co-writer of The Young Ones and Blackadder, a bestselling novelist, playwright, director and writer of Upstart Crow. He talks about his new and timely novel about identity, politics, middle age and murder; his life as a semi-Australian empty-nester, and why he’s about to embark on his first UK stand up tour in 15 years.The shortest shepherd in England, Sally Urwin, reveals why she gave up her city life as a marketing manager to work on a sheep farm in Northumberland and the joys and challenges of the lambing season.Listener Chris Lockwood recalls playing football the unofficial England women’s team at the 1971 World Cup in Mexico – at the age of 16.Matt Bateman is playing in the British Quidditch Cup this weekend. He explains the game, his position as “beater”, and the difference between The Quaffle, Bludgers and The Snitch.Andy Bell, best known as frontman for the electropop duo Erasure, describes his life growing up in Peterborough with darts playing parents, how he likes to challenge his voice, and his alter-ego Torsten.Singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti shares his Inheritance Tracks - Forever Young sung by Joan Baez, and Kathy’s Song by Simon and Garfunkel.Presented by the Rev. Richard Coles and Suzy Klein.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell.

4/6/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 35 seconds

Singer-songwriter and Great British Menu guest judge Keisha Buchanan talks to Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir about finding success as a teenager in Sugababes, a band which had six number one singles and two number one albums in the UK. Lamin Deen talks about his duel career as a Grenadier Guard and GB bobsleigh Olympian.We launch My Sound, a new feature where we ask you to tell us about a sound that means something to you. Tim Eagling explains why the sound of his car is significant.Forager John Wright reveals what we should be looking out for in April and how you can find wild food in cities as well as the country.Line of Duty actor Adrian Dunbar shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Hear My Song Violetta, performed by Josef Locke and A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles.Alice Plunkett is a former jockey and three-day eventer who is now an ITV Racing presenter. Alice is the only woman to have ridden at both Badminton Horse Trials and the Grand National course at Aintree. She talks about the risks and rewards of racing.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/30/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 22 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the milliner Stephen Jones whose passion for hats has led him from the catwalks of Dior to the Brighton Pavillion, the adventurer and extreme sleeper Phoebe Smith who sends people to sleep with her travel stories, historian David Olusoga whose TV programme explores the lives of all the people who lived in one house in Newcastle and Saturday Live listener, the crochetdermist Shauna Richardson whose creations include animal versions of Boris Johnson and Prince Harry and whose worked graced the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.We also have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Gina Yashere who chooses Dancing Queen by Abba and Back to Life by Soul II SoulAnd listener Rosie Humphreys tells us about her mother's dress.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/23/2019 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Choirmaster Gareth Malone describes working with pupils from Kensington Aldridge Academy to help them create a concert to mark the return to their school building next to Grenfell Tower.Listener Rev'd Alan Dodds recalls his life before ordination - playing guitar in a band with David Bowie. Mya-Rose Craig, aka 'birdgirl', has seen 5,000 species of bird and explains how she spends her weekends bird ringing. Jane Hasell-McCosh reveals some of the strange varieties of marmalade at the Marmalade Awards and Festival in Cumbria.Saxophonist and MOBO winner YolanDa Brown on racing driving and her search for emerging young musical talent.And the Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick shares his Inheritance Tracks - Stairway to Heaven performed by Led Zeppelin and One by U2.Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/16/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 17 seconds

Best-selling singer-songwriter Dido on her new album Still On My Mind, fame, life growing up and working with her brother. Wendy Gould and John Sandford talk about being reunited after many years – Wendy was taken from her parents’ front garden and dumped on the side of the road 20 miles from her home and John was the man who found her. Jerick Hoffer talks about creating alter ego Jinkx Monsoon – and becoming the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 5. Comedian Al Murray shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Come Together by The Beatles and Follow You Follow Me by Genesis. The actor, writer and director Noel Clarke (Dr Who, Brotherhood, Bulletproof) is starring in new film Fisherman’s Friends, about the Cornish fisherman’s choir who got a record deal. He discusses the impact of being an only child and wanting to act from a young age.Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/9/2019 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard and Aasmah are joined by Jo Malone CBE, who left school aged 15 with no qualifications and became a scent supremo and one of the UKs best known entrepreneurs. We also have comedian aka 'Badman' Humza Arshad who made his success online, took it mainstream and has written his first children's book: Little Badman and the Killer Aunties. There is Ishbel Holmes whose difficult upbringing prompted her, aged 21, to cycle the world rescuing street dogs and Saturday Live listener Catherine Spencer who, as a holidaymaker, got caught up in a coup in Kenya and Robin Moffitt talks about how to rescue bats. Plus: the Inheritance Tracks of Shakin' Stevens who chooses Brother Can You Spare A Dime performed by Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance and We’ll Meet Again performed by Johnny Cash. Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

3/2/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles are joined by the writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson. She discusses her heroine Tracy Beaker who is now grown up with a daughter of her own and why she prefers writing for children to adults.Steve Bland talks about his late wife Rachael, the journalist and broadcaster who co-presented You, Me and the Big C, an inspiring podcast about living with cancer. The podcast tackled her illness with courage and humour and changed our thinking about the disease. Before her death last year Rachael wrote a moving memoir for her young son Freddie.Born in Beirut, comedian Nemr Abour Nassar grew up in San Diego before returning to Lebanon. His stand-up routine addresses the differences between US and Lebanese culture and, closer to home, he pokes fun at his Arab family and their traditions.Julia Lee is the first female rugby league referee. She fell in love with the game when she was a child and when she was 17 she applied to become an official. She talks about being a woman in a man's world and the new play Ref! - a fictionalised account of her life.With Inheritance Tracks from former designer and sculptor Nicole Farhi. She chooses Kol Nidrei sung by Cantor Yitz Meir Helfgot and Casta Diva sung by Maria Callas from the opera Norma by Bellini.Producer: Paula McGinley.Editor: Beverley Purcell

2/23/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

The actor Shane Richie, star of East Enders talks about his latest role, in the West End show ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’. Chelcee Grimes describes how she combines her two careers, playing for Fulham Ladies and writing songs for the Grammy Award winner Dua Lipa and Kylie amongst others. Bethan Roberts grew up in the House of Elvis – not Graceland – but with a mum who loved The King so much that she had memorabilia and posters all over the house.Dr Jon Copley is a marine biologist and scientific advisor for the BBC series, Blue Planet. He explains his fascination with our oceans, what it feels like to explore them.And Dave Gorman shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses: When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman performed by Dr Hook; and Reasons to be Cheerful by Ian Dury and The Blockheads. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: John Goudie.

2/16/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 29 seconds

Aasmah and Richard are joined by: Patrick Grant - he bought and revived a failing tailors in Savile Row in 2005, since then he’s been awarded Menswear designer at the British Fashion Awards, become a judge on The Great British Sewing Bee and promotes sustainable fashion. Adam Kay used to be a junior doctor, and left to become a writer and comedian. His book This is Going to Hurt was based on diaries written as a junior doctor, exposed the highs and lows of the job and became a bestseller. Nichola McAvoy lost her hair age 11 and will tell us how finding a friend who also had alopecia was invaluable to her. Jess Herbert left her job as a trilingual assistant and retrained as an aborist - she's since won tree climbing competitions. We'll have your thank you and the Inheritance tracks of composer Mark Anthony Turnage who chooses Stravinsky's ‘The Fairy’s kiss’ conducted by Oliver Knussen with the Cleveland orchestra, and Miles Davis' ‘Blue in Green’.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/9/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

Scientist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili shares his experience of growing up in Iraq, his passion for music and his first novel, which will be published in April. Eboni Beckford-Chambers talks about combining a career in law with being an England netball player. As the new Biggin Hill Memorial Museum opens today, Geoff Greensmith recalls his childhood growing in the area during WW II. Listener Stephen 'Abs' Wisdom explains how Robin Hood inspired his career; and playwright and actress Natasha Gordon shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Midnight Train to Georgia sung by Gladys Knight & the Pips and Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla. Author Kimberley Chambers reveals how she became a bestselling author after deciding that life as a mini-cab driver wasn't for her.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

2/2/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 27 seconds

The actress, Brenda Blethyn, star of Vera; Monisha Rajesh recounts travelling around the world by train; Mo Gawdat on his happiness algorithm, and rugby international James Haskell shares his Inheritance Tracks. Brenda Blethyn, star of Vera, recalls working for British Rail, before launching her acting career.Mo Gawdat, Former Chief Business Officer, Google (X), explains his algorithm for happiness and how it helped him after the death of his son Ali. Saturday Live listener, Deborah Gould, shares her love of skydiving.Monisha Rajesh describes her 45,000 mile journey around the globe on 80 trains. And Harry Bibring recalls his escape from Vienna on the Kindertransport.And rugby international James Haskell shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses Billie Jean performed by Michael Jackson and Wagon Wheel performed by Darius Rucker.Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

1/26/2019 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 49 seconds

Trevor Nelson talks about how he became one of the country's leading R&B DJs; pigeon fancier Ian Evans sets the scene from The British Homing World Show of the Year in Blackpoool. Man Like Mobeen star and creator Guz Khan, who until recently was a Humanities teacher in the Midlands. Sharon D. Clarke shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Sweet Jamaica by Clancy Eccles and What’s Goin’ On by Marvin Gaye. Anatomist, author and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts discusses her career and how she digs the UK with a spade and a campervan.Presented by Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/19/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Konnie Huq are joined by Dame Kelly Holmes, double gold winner at the Athens Olympics in 2004. She talks about her life in the army, pursuing her dream of becoming an Olympian and adjusting to life after retiring from athletics. Jacquie Davis is one of the world's top female bodyguards. During her career she has protected royals and celebrities, rescued hostages and carried out undercover surveillance. She talks about the qualities required for the job and the power of being a chameleon.The Reverend Ravi Holy was ordained in 2005 after turning his back on his previous life as a dissolute youth. He is also a stand-up comedian and explains how the comedy gets them laughing in the aisles.Jasper Winn is writer in residence for the Canal and River Trust who advocates slow travel - taking time to appreciate the world around us as an antidote to our busy, high tech lives.Marion Grave, owner of the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston, talks about the magic of their partnership and her favourite objects among the exhibits.With Inheritance Tracks from musician Rick Wakeman. He chooses Woodman, Spare That Tree by Phil Harris and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/12/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 11 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Mobeen Azhar are joined by the actor and TV presenter Bradley Walsh. Currently starring in Doctor Who, he talks about going on a father and son road trip in the US, where he was pushed to his limits with cowboy training and sky diving! Former professional footballer and teacher, Len Johnrose, describes his small victories, silver linings and making the most of living with motor-neurone disease. Gary Budd is a chimney sweep and also the founder, head coach and chief coxswain of The Pilot Gig Club in Lewes, East Sussex. He explains why he started the club and how it’s brought the community together. Julia Georgallis gives advice on how to eat your Christmas Tree. She turns hers into everything from fir jam, spruce ice-cream, pine smoked cauliflower and juniper gin! And supermodel and petrolhead turned pub landlady, Jodie Kidd, describes turning 40 and how she’s now living a healthier, more anchored life. With Inheritance Tracks from Simon Williams. He chooses: I Whistle a Happy Tune from The King and I and Lullabye, sung by Billy Joel.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

1/5/2019 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Gabrielle, THE pop star of the 90s – inspiring lyrics, cool image, intriguing eye patch, hit after hit, and then she went quiet. After time out as a mum of two she has just released her first album for 11 years, and she is back. Will Farmer’s life seems only to exist on a summer’s day surrounded by beautiful objects in the garden of an English stately home, for he is an expert on Antiques Roadshow. He’s joining us in the midst of winter to talk about auctioneering and his passion for the past.Emma Rosen spent a year trying 25 careers before turning 25 including: archaeology in Transylvania; being an extra in a major movie; alpaca farming in Cornwall and assisting a crisis team during the terror attack on Parliament in March 2017. Emma now works as a writer and speaker, focusing on millennials in the workforce. Saturday Live listener Gary Horrocks joins us to talk about being a fan of Judy Garland – he heads the international fan club.JP meets Philip Pittack and Martin White who run the last surviving Spitalfields cloth merchants.and Brian Conley tells us his inheritance tracks. He chooses Elvis Presley performing Jailhouse Rock and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons performing Who Loves You.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/29/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

David Gower talks about his life in cricket and how spending his early years in Africa inspired his passion for wildlife. Anne Atkins has been inspired to write about her son Alex, who has Asperger's. They discuss their relationship and how Alex has learnt how to read people. Clive Collins explains why Christmas trees are so important to him. Singer Lily Allen shares her Inheritance Tracks - she has chosen I’m Always on a Mountain When I Fall, performed by Merle Haggard and Fix You by Coldplay. And from the courtroom to the kitchen- Nisha Katona tells her story.Presented by Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/22/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

The comedian and actor Hugh Dennis talks about being the son of a Bishop and his latest role in The Messiah. Former nurse, Christie Watson, recalls lessons of kindness and hospital Christmasses. Listener Stephanie Bouckley shares her Thank You story pegged to the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster.JP Devlin meets Arthur Spencer, a former teacher and WWII navigator, who has been recognised with the award of a Legion d’honneur from the French government.Jan Blake describes the timeless appeal of storytelling and her first visit to her grandmother in Jamaica. Firefighter Gary Bankhead explains how he became an amateur underwater archaeologist, finding gold and silver from Durham Cathedral in the Wear. He is now an expert on lead cloth seals. And Eric Idle chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Here Comes the Sun by George Harrison; and Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/15/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 23 seconds

Prue Leith has been in our cooking consciousness for years but her appointment as a judge on TV's bake off has exposed her culinary expertise to a whole new audience and inspired a new cook book. She joins Richard and Aasmah along with: Marianne Power who was such a fan of self-help she decided to follow a book a month for a year. She joins us to reflect on her journey of self discovery.Former professional footballer Cherno Samba was tipped to be a superstar in UK football but whilst his career stalled he became a legend on computer game Championship Manager. Now training to be a coach, he tell us what happened. Clare Norburn sings medieval carols with her group The Telling – she’s going to tell us how the first carols were not to do with Christmas…JP meets Rob in Bridgend who has been helped out of homelessness by The Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin in the Field’sand Inheritance Tracks from Tim Rice who chooses You Did It, from My Fair Lady, with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and with God On Our Side, written by Bob Dylan and performed by Manfred Mann.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/8/2018 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 17 seconds

Slade guitarist Dave Hill; Young People’s Laureate for London Momtaza Mehri; Listener Mary Diggory takes JP Devlin back to the woods that gave her sanctuary; Shona Davies on finding love as she sailed around the world. Joanne Froggatt shares her Inheritance Tracks: Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush and Proud Mary performed by Ike and Tina Turner. Dr Xand van Tulleken talks about combining medicine and presenting, with his twin brother.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

12/3/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Comedian and writer Sandi Toksvig, former armed robber turned triathlete John McAvoy and bubble enthusiast, Dr. Helen Czerski and harmonica fan Ben Hewlett. With the Inheritance Tracks of Richard Blackwood.Sandi Toksvig joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev.Richard Coles, to talk about being a national “Trevor”, adapting Treasure Island, why baking makes her emotional, and honeymooning in the Arctic. Helen Czerski, expert in the physics of bubbles, has just returned from a trip to the High Arctic. She explains how learning to ice a cake is just as much about physics as arc welding. John McAvoy describes how he turned himself from an armed robber into a triathlete thanks to the sports faculties of HMP Belmarsh and an epiphany. JP Devlin hears from the members of Sands United, a football team made up of bereaved fathers.Ben Hewett, Chairman of Harmonica UK, demonstrates how the Blues Brothers changed his life.With Inheritance Tracks from the actor and comedian Richard Blackwood. He chooses Mama Used to Say by Junior and Don’t you Worry ‘bout a Thing, Stevie Wonder.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/24/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Stephen Fry joins Richard and Aasmah to talk about Greek Heroes and finding wedded bliss. We also have JoJo Wood who extolls the virtue of wood carving for mental health, and Dr Catherine Walker, a septuagenarian weightlifter and academic at Oxford university, and Bisi Alimi who is a LGBTQ rights campaigner and the first person to come out as gay on national TV in Nigeria. We have your thank you and broadcaster and writer Jenni Murray chooses her inheritance tracks: The Blue Danube by Strauss and Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/17/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Michael Palin talks with Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir about travelling in the footsteps of a ship, Erebus, that went missing in the late 1840s and was only re-discovered in 2014. He also discusses the special relationship with his fellow Monty Pythons. Dani Crilly tells the story of the horse who she says saved her life. Vee Walker talks to us from Bavay in France, which was liberated by Vee’s grandfather Major Tom Westmacott in 1918. Beatboxer and composer Jason Singh explains how he works and why he appreciates sound. Matt Baker will take a short break from the CIN Rickshaw Challenge to speak to us. Nana Mouskouri shares her Inheritance Tracks - she has chosen Suzanne by Leonard Cohen and Love is a Losing Game by Amy Winehouse. And Martin Impey whose life and career changed when he completed a promise made to his grandmother, to find his great uncle who never returned from WW1.Erebus by Michael Palin is out now.Vee Walker – Major Tom’s War is out now.Nana Moukouri’s latest Album ‘Forever Young’ is out now.Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum est – Illustrated by Martin Impey is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/10/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Actor Tamsin Greig, quizzer and barrister Shaun Wallace, explorer Aldo Kane, RAF trauma nurse Sadie Melling and "Chabuddy G". With Stephen Mangan's Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Tamsin Greig is Olivier Award winner, an Aldridge of Borsetshire, Malvolia in a Twelfth Night, and a keen trampolinist. She describes how her love of movement is being constrained in her current roles in Pinter 3 as part of the Pinter Season. Shaun Wallace aka “The Dark Destroyer” recalls his route to becoming a barrister and how he created a parallel career as a master of the TV quiz. Tom Harding Assinder is taken on a tour of Hounslow with star of People Just Do Nothing’s Chabuddy G. RAF trauma nurse Sadie Melling has just returned from Sydney, where she formed part of The British Invictus Games Team. Former Commando Aldo Kane recalls his living in an active volcano and reveals how spending 10 days in isolation in a nuclear bunker affected his body clock.With Inheritance Tracks Stephen Mangan. He chooses: I Recall a Gypsy Woman, performed by Don Williams and Who Knows Where the Time Goes?, performed by Fairport Convention.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

11/3/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by comedian Marcus Brigstocke, who reveals why he has a red painted head and blue horns for his first character-driven stand up show. Jodi Ann Bickley explains why she writes lovely letters to strangers in need – about 4,000 so far. After 65 years working at Waterloo Station, Don Buckley is thought to be Britain’s longest-serving railway worker. He enjoys helping people around the station and is so popular with passengers that one of them, Bernadette Porteous, wrote to tell us all about him. JP Devlin has been to meet him.Dan Aylward travelled to Lesotho as an economic advisor and ‘accidentally’ set up its national rugby squad.Carla Valentine’s interest in death and mystery began in childhood with reading Agatha Christie novels. She describes her role as a Mortician and Technical Curator at Bart’s Pathology Museum in London, where she looks after some 5,000 artefacts.The American Jazz singer and saxophonist Curtis Stigers chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number by Steely Dan and Something To Love by Jason Isbell.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/27/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 34 seconds

Comedian and writer Adam Hills is also the host of Channel 4's taboo busting comedy satire The Last Leg. He joins Richard and Aasmah along with:Georgina Lawton who grew up thinking she was white like her parents, then she found out about her black heritage. Claire de Lune is a ceramicist who recently found that her family had been working with clay for 700 years. And composer Shirley J Thompson on how modern history inspires her work. We have your thank you and the inheritance tracks of Manfred Mann's Paul Jones who chooses My Babe performed by Little Walter and Come Sunday performed by Mahalia Jackson with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

10/22/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined in the Saturday Live studio by stand-up comedian Bridget Christie, digital artist and mental health campaigner Kirsty Latoya, milkman Ian Beardwell and etymologist Paul Anthony Jones, the author of Around the World in 80 Words.We also hear the Inheritance Tracks of dancer and choreographer Akram Khan - Mera Joota Hai Japani by Raj Kapoor & Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & Rev Richard ColesProducer: Paul Waters

10/16/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Former England football player and manager Kevin Keegan made his professional debut fifty years ago. He talks to Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles about how a nun was his first mentor, the way Bill Shankly changed his life and seizing opportunities off the pitch.Christel Dee is a Dr Who fan - also known as a Whovian - whose life and career has been shaped by the show.British Olympian Archer Patrick Huston got in touch to tell us about the woman who inspired him to take up the sport.Fashion Designer Zandra Rhodes shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Boléro by Maurice Ravel The Pearl Fishers’ Duet by Georges Bizet.Romesh Ranganathan left his teaching career to pursue a career in comedy. He talks about the pressure to support his family, staying in the town of his birth and love of Hip Hop.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

10/6/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

She can dance, she can sing, she can ice skate and act in gritty London based soap EastEnders: all round showbiz star Bonnie Langford joins us to talk about her show business career spanning 5 decades and her return to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where it all began aged 7.Aged 15 George Green was a talented footballer and signed by Everton. Money and success at such a young age led him to drug and alcohol abuse, and 4 years later he was let go. He joins us to tell his story of pulling himself back from the brink.Previous Shed of the year winner Joel Bird extolls the virtues of carpentry for mindfulness.Karen Gibson shot to worldwide fame after she appeared conducting The Kingdom Choir at this year's Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. She joins us to talk about career highlights which also include singing for Nelson Mandela.Farmer and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson chooses The Strangler’s Golden Brown and Live on Mars by David Bowie and we have a listener's Thank you.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/29/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Coming live from Stirling, Coast presenter and archaeologist Neil Oliver talks about his love of the British Isles; writer, musician and journalist Doug Johnstone takes time out from Stirling's Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival. Comedian and You-Tuber Bachala Mbunzama, better known as Bash the Entertainer, talks about his journey from the Congo to Glasgow. Orkney folk musicians Fara will be performing. Ken Bruce shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen I’ve Got You Under My Skin sung by Frank Sinatra and I’ll See You In My Dreams sung by Joe Brown. Singer Amy Macdonald shares her career highlights and love of tattoos and dogs.Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard ColesProducer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/22/2018 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 33 seconds

Legendary keyboard player Rick Wakeman is known for his huge contribution to prog rock with the band Yes, his own innovative compositions, his flamboyant caped stage presence and his numerous piano arrangements.Bea Priestley is a 22 year-old wrestler in the ever growing woman’s wrestling scene. Bea got back into wrestling after brain surgery when she was 18 and now tours the UK and Japan.Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull bonded over quizzing. They both found themselves internet sensations after appearing on different teams on University Challenge. They've just done a round Britain fact finding road trip but will join us in the studio.Listener Heather Sinclair Buchanan got in touch to talk about her 30 year hunt for a stolen dolls house and the tragic loss of her son for whom she founded Olly's Friendship Foundation. She's still looking for the dolls house - it's pictured below so please get in touch if you can help. Ray Winstone chooses his inheritance tracks: the track he inherits is Smile performed by Nat King Cole and he passes on I'm forever blowing bubbles performed by Dean Martin.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland

9/18/2018 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 7 seconds

Conversation from comedian Susan Calman, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones aka The Black Farmer and about Simon's Cat. Naga Munchetty shares her Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Comedian and actress Susan Calman explains why she gave up a successful career in corporate law for stand-up, she shares her memories of Strictly Come Dancing and reveals her love of cats. Simon Tofield, creator of Simon's Cat, recalls how the animation went viral. Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, best known as The Black Farmer, describes what drew him to farming, and why he champions jeopardy and taking risks. Last year Saturday Live listener Philippa O'Sullivan, a complete sailing novice, set off on a Clipper round the world sailing trip. After 45,000 miles and 11 months at sea, she talks about her inspiring adventure.JP Devlin meets Saturday Live listener Bob Gerrard. He recollects his teenage years growing up in care, getting into minor scrapes as a teenager and speaks fondly of the policewoman who kept an eye out for him. Superfan John Wood is unveiling a bench in memorial to musician's musician, Nicky Hopkins today. He tells us why and explains why he wants to create more memorials for unsung heroes. BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty chooses her Inheritance Tracks - Ain't Got No, I Got Life, Nina Simone and Sign O' The Times, Prince.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

9/8/2018 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 10 seconds

Maggie Aderin-Poco*ck on her love of the moon and Nigerian heritage; Ali Payne tweeted to try and find the inscribed copy of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist given to her by her late husband. She continues her search on Saturday Live. Celebrating 30 years of marriage, The Alarm's Mike and Jules Peters discuss working together and dealing with individual cancer diagnoses. Rehana Popal is the first practising female Afghan at the Bar. Coming to the UK as a refugee when she was five, Rehana talks about her path to law. Helen Lederer shares her Inheritance Tracks: Que Sera Sera and All I Want by Joni Mitchell. Ann Cleeves talks about remote living and writing the final book in her Shetland series.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

9/1/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Singer songwriter Jim Kerr of Simple Minds talks about his love of walking in deserts and mountains, sustaining friendships over decades and his pop career.Atoosa Sepehr shares recipes from her cook book Persian Kitchen - authentic recipes and fabulous flavours from Iran - and talks about growing up in Iran & Italy.Nigerian crime fiction writer Leye Adenle reveals how "sunshine noir" authors are fighting back against the dominance of Nordic Noir.Gold medal-winning wheelchair dance duo Paula Moulton & Gary Lyness discuss their partnership representing Britain in international competition and how they're encouraging others to take up the activity for prestige and pleasure.We check in with a chilli-eating contest. And TV presenter & musician Loyd Grossman shares his Inheritance Tracks - Ragtime Cowboy Joe & You Really Got Me by The Kinks.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & Suzy KleinProducer: Paul Waters.

8/25/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 42 seconds

We're live from the YMCA Theatre in Scarborough with Sir Michael Parkinson, folk legend Martin Carthy, surfer Tori Gower and Jennifer Dunne on the exhibition the Ancient Seas of the Yorkshire Coast. With Inheritance Tracks from Kiki Dee.Sir Michael Parkinson talks about his early life in Yorkshire, happy memories of holidays in Scarborough, his passion for cricket and forthcoming tour - An Evening With Sir Michael Parkinson. Jennifer Dunne is Collections Manager, Scarborough Museums Trust. She describes the Rotunda Museum's new exhibition for the Scarborough's Dinosaur coast, which includes a recently discovered fossilized Walrus skull. Tori Gower discovered surfing while on a visit to Scarborough and stayed. She's now a qualified surf instructor and RNLI beach lifeguard in Scarborough. When she's not in the water, she's usually painting - she's created seascapes as well as surfboard art.Ben Davis is running some 470 miles around Yorkshire. He set off on Yorkshire Day 1 August and he finishes in Scarborough today. He describes the journey and benefits of running for his mental health - and his weight.Folk legend Martin Carthy performs live, including a new arrangement of Scarborough Fair. He recalls his family's musical roots, his acting ambitions and what brought him to the area.Kiki Dee shares her Inheritance Tracks - Some of Your Lovin by Dusty Springfield and Calling All Angels, Jane Siberry.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/18/2018 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 59 seconds

Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kim Wilde's inheritance tracks, Bryony Gordon on staying sober and running, the Urban birder David Lindo and Thames plastic picking cyclist Dhruv Boruah join Rev Richard Coles and Suzy Klein.Mark-Anthony Turnage is one of the most admired and widely-performed composers of his generation whose operas include Anna Nicole and Coraline. He'll be talking about why he likes to mix pop culture into classical and provoke a response from his audiences. Former corporate guy Dhruv Boruah likes a challenge, the more he can learn the better - he learnt to drive so he could drive an ambulance to Mongolia, learnt to swim so he could join an ocean race and he made a bike on which he cycled the Thames from source to sea to pick up rubbish and started The Thames Project. He joins us to discuss his motivations.David Lindo aka The Urban Birder, is a naturalist, writer, broadcaster and photographer. His obsession with birds began from a young age, when he first started noticing the birds from his window growing up in Wembley, North London. Since then he's been birding round urban environments from Newcastle to New York. Bryony Gordon has been a Telegraph writer and columnist since her teens, often writing about her own life. More recently she has become a mental health campaigner, given up alcohol and run two marathons.Listener Wendy Chalk gives her thank you and we'll hear from Nicky White from the Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival (11th - 19th August).Kim Wilde tells us her inheritance tracks - she chooses Anyone who had a heart performed by Cilla Black and Everything put together falls apart by Paul Simon.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/11/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Shaun Keaveny and Sonali Shah are joined by Rylan Clark-Neal who found fame as a contestant on the X-Factor in 2012. He subsequently won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and is now a presenter on programmes including This Morning and Big Brother's Bit on the Side. Paralympian David Smith won gold at Rio in 2016. He explains what it takes to be a Boccia champion. Mary Ellis discovered scything and has since been successful in competitions and is keen to share her knowledge. Dale Vince is a green industrialist, has a record breaking electric car and turned his local football team, Forest Green Rovers, vegan. Gyles Brandreth shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold singing 'I Remember It Well' from the film Gigi AND 'Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear' by Scooter and Fozzie Bear from The Muppets.Gyles Brandreth is performing his show Break a Leg! at the Edinburgh Festival until 26th August.The World Boccia Championships runs from the 12th August 2018 - 18th August 2018 in Liverpool.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Beverley Purcell.

8/4/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Conversation from the actor Stephen Mangan, pop-up beach organiser Scott Barton, nanotechnologist Dr. Michelle Dickinson, and The Madonna of Bolton - Matt Cain.With Orla Kiely's Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.The actor Stephen Mangan talks about his hair, his 52 cousins and his new Channel 4 series Hang Ups! in which he plays a therapist, who has his own therapist. Sean Randell shares his story of Thanks, to the couple who fostered him before he was adopted.Scott Barton organises pop up urban beaches around the country. He describes what's happening today in Northfield, Birmingham; and we find out why he was once Lady Mayoress of Sheffield!Dr. Michelle Dickinson - aka Nanogirl - is a nanotechnologist who shares her passion for nanobots, and reveals her Chicken in a Cup experiment.JP Devlin meets Catherine Geddes who explains why she became homeless and how she transformed her life, helping other youngsters in the process.Matt Cain - aka The Madonna of Bolton - on growing up gay in Bolton in the 1980s. He describes how Madonna's music and videos inspired him, and her fierce determination to succeed gave him the confidence to do the same - and to find his own voice. And the designer Orla Kiely chooses her Inheritance Tracks - Night and Day by Cole Porter and 7 seconds by Youssou n'dour & Neneh Cherry.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell.

7/28/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Mark Gatiss talks about return of The League of Gentlemen, his passion for painting, and why he's drawn to the artist John Minton. Joining him are history teacher and performance poet Jaspreet Kaur, Francoise Malby-Anthony, who runs a game reserve which she set up with her late husband 'Elephant Whisperer' Laurence Anthony; and thriller and Batman writer Gregg Hurwitz.Robert Winston is Chairman of the Genesis Research Trust, which campaigns to improve IVF and increase funding for research into infertility and baby loss. He shares his Inheritance Tracks ahead of the 40th anniversary of the first IVF baby. He has chosen the second movement from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Edouard van Remoortel and the opening of J S Bach's Christmas Oratorio, recorded by the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Stephen Layton. Reporter JP Devlin has been out to speak to the people of Hadfield, the filming location for The League of Gentlemen.Mark Gatiss' documentary John Minton: The Lost Man of British Art will be on BBC Four in mid August. The League of Gentlemen Tour has 50 dates all over the UK and starts on August 6 in Barnstaple.Francoise Malby-Anthony's book An Elephant In My Kitchen is published on 26 July.Presenters Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles Producer Claire Bartleet.

7/21/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Conversation from the Journalist Robert Peston, stand up comedian Darren Harriott, teacher Vanessa Tissington, Wimbledon obsessive Ben Chatfield and Butterfly Ambassador, Kate Bradbury. With Chris Difford's Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Konnie Huq and the Rev. Richard Coles. Robert Peston talks about his late father, his family's social mobility and his passion for organising speakers in schools. Teacher, Vanessa Tissington, recalls the year she spent turning around the secondary school in St Helena. Darren Harriott is a security guard turned stand up comedian. He describes how he became involved in a gang, before being saved by drama. Ben Chatfield first queued for Wimbledon in 1984 and went on to queue there regularly for 30 years. He talks about the sense of camaraderie and why he became known as 'Barrier Boy'.Kate Bradbury is the Garden Ambassador for Butterflies Conservation, a gardener and writer. She explains her passion for wildlife and how the regenerative power of nature helped her during her mother's brain-haemorrhage. And Chris Difford shares his Inheritance Tracks: Happy Jack by The Who and You've Got A Friend by Carole King.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

7/7/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles host and perform with opera star Bryn Terfel. He's appearing in the title role in Falstaff at the Royal Opera House.Edwina "IronGran" Brocklesby, tells how she took up marathons, triathlons and Iron Man racing in her 50s. She's still going strong at 75 and wants to spread the message that exercise helps physical and mental health whatever your age.BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner talks about his latest thriller, Ultimatum, set in Iran.Rai Rafiq tells how she came from Zanzibar as a child, to become co-host of one of the UK's most respected podcasts - Mostly Lit.And to mark the start of Wimbledon fortnight, Judy Murray shares the track she inherited and the song she'll pass on to the next generation in Inheritance Tracks. Also: Edwina Brocklesby's grandmother - Nan - cooked for Winston and Clementine Churchill at No 10 Downing Street during World War Two. Her mousseline pudding was almost the death of her and Britain's wartime leader during the Blitz. We want to hear stories about your grandmother - inspiring, heroic or just funny.EMAIL [emailprotected]TWEET #bbcsaturdayliveTEXT: 84844 (Texts will be charged at your standard message rate. Check with your network provider for exact costs.)PRESENTERS: Aasmah Mir & Rev Richard ColesPRODUCER: Paul Waters.

6/30/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny with athlete and presenter Kriss Akabusi, singer Kim Appleby, writer Steven Camden, teacher Abed Ahmed and author Ben Okri.Sporting legend Kriss Akabusi still holds the British record for the 400m Hurdles. He gets philosophical about the different sides to his personality, discusses school sports participation and reflects on his career.Abed Ahmed is a teacher with a stammer at the same school he attended as a student. He runs stammer support sessions in his school. He's also been nominated for a New Teacher of the Year award.JP Devlin has been to Ascot to speak to people as they head to the racesKim Appleby had hits including Respectable and Showing Out as a member of pop duo Mel and Kim, with her sister who sadly died at the height of their fame in 1990. Kim has gone on to chair the contemporary panel of the Ivor Novello Awards and has recently returned to the stage. She also shares her experiences of having a childhood stammer with Abed.Writer and performer Steven Camden, also known as Polarbear, performs in the studio, shares his love of Birmingham and talks about his latest book Nobody Real, his third YA novel. Steven also inspired Shaun to write his first poem- which he recites.Poet and novelist Ben Okri shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen (Sittin' on The) Dock of the Bay by Otis Reading and 'Pastorale' from Scenes from Nigeria by Samuel Akpabot, performed by Marcus Eley with Lucerne DeSa.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

6/23/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

With Aasmah Mir and guest presenter Konnie Huq are trumpeter Alison Balsom OBE, cycling blogger Jools Walker, self taught Fungi expert Geoff Dann and Joanne Barton who went from teenage alcoholism to becoming a doctor in A&E.Alison Balsom is having a break from travelling the world playing virtuoso trumpet in a new role as Artistic Director of the Cheltenham Music Festival;Jools Walker is a cycling blogger whose passion for two wheels has proved so infectious she has been able to blog full time; Geoff Dann's childhood in the North Downs inspired a life long interest in foraging, particularly for fungi. Self taught, he's survived to pass on some of his knowledge to us;Joanne Barton started drinking as a teenager after she experienced problems at home. Drug use followed, and she dropped out of school. In her late teens she managed to change her path and got a job which led to working in the care sector and inspired her to return to education and now she is an A&E doctor. JP meets listener Roger Wilson-Hinds who sings the praises of his Dad this Father's day weekend.We have the inheritance tracks of Quadrophenia actor Phil Daniels who chose Nature's Way by Spirit and I'm One by the Who.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

6/16/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Guests include actor and stand up comedian Richard Blackwood, Little Britain star Matt Lucas, fashion commentator and football obsessive Simon Doonan, and American Football player Phoebe Schecter.Richard Blackwood talks about his early rise to fame and bankruptcy, before playing the donkey in Shrek the Musical and moving on to straight acting roles.Matt Lucas, began his career as a giant baby playing the drums and went on to success with Little Britain wearing a fat suits for the character of Bubbles De Vere. He describes his passion for musicals and for Arsenal FC.Simon Doonan loves football and fashion in equal measure. He is the Creative Ambassador for Barney's New York. He's dressed the White House for Christmas under the Obama administration. And he's a Reading FC fan who has flown from New York to see them play. Phoebe Schecter plays for and Captains Great Britain's Women's American Football team. She led them to the final of the 2015 European Championships, where they won silver, and she was the first British woman to coach in the NFL when she worked with Buffalo Bills. And Jo Wood shares her Inheritance Tracks - Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba, and Stray Cat Blues by The Rolling Stones.Presented by Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles.Produced by Louise CorleyEdited by Eleanor Garland.

6/9/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

With Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir,David Coulthard talks about his Formula 1 career and life after racing. Listener Kate got in touch to tell us how writing helped her on the way to recovery from anorexia. JP Devlin meets song and dance man Movin' Melvin Brown; Whitney Brown explains how she went from being an academic in America to dry stone walling in Wales. Opera star Willard White shares his Inheritance Tracks: Smile by Nat King Cole and Bach's Prelude No. 1. Adnan Sarwar is a former British soldier who has just returned to Iraq to explore how the country has changed. David Coulthard's The Winning Formula: Leadership, Strategy and Motivation the F1 Way is out now.Movin' Melvin Brown is performing his show Chuck Berry Lives and running the workshop Dancing with the Star - Movin with Melvin at the Brighton Fringe till the 3rd June.Whitney Brown's Between Stone and Sky: Memoirs of a Walker is out now.Part one of Adnan Sarwar's documentary Journey in the Danger Zone: Iraq goes out on BBC Two on Sunday, 3rd June, at 8pm. Willard White is performing in Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House in London from 29th June until 17th July. Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

6/2/2018 • 1 hour, 29 minutes, 4 seconds

With Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir,John Torode on MasterChef and how travel has inspired his cooking, Simon Mayo shares his Inheritance Tracks, Milad Shadrooh reveals how he became The Singing Dentist, psychologist Janina Scarlet on how superheroes changed her life and enabled her to help others. Mandy Coppin breaks off from organising the largest number of light aircraft to fly the River Tyne, plus JP Devlin meets listener and Tetbury WoolSack Racer Lucy Collins. John Torode's book Sydney To Seoul: Recipes from my travels in Australia and the Far East is out on the 31st May.Fly The Tyne is happening from around 1.30pm on 26th May.The Tetbury WoolSack Races is on Bank Holiday Monday.Simon Mayo chose The Nightmare Song 'Love unrequited robs me of my rest' from Iolanthe by Gilbert and Sullivan and Graceland by Paul Simon.Janina Scarlet's book Therapy Quest is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

5/26/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

The adventurer and explorer Benedict Allen joins Konnie Huq and the Rev. Richard Coles. He explains why he returned to Papua New Guinea to visit a community he'd befriended 30 years earlier, why he doesn't take modern technology with him, but does travel with postcards of The Queen.As Manchester United prepare to meet Chelsea in the Cup Final later today, JP Devlin is in conversation with its former number seven - Eric Cantona.Rugby coach Ben Ryan describes how he took the Fijian Sevens to Olympic Gold in Rio 2016 and was made a Chief by a grateful nation.And it was a romantic game of two halves for Helen Bellany, so taken with the painter John Bellany she married him not once but twice. Listener Carol Worwood shares her Thank You story from the Royal Wedding Day in 1981. Tim Eagling describes his family's morning - taking part in an immersive scare event in a disused shopping mall.And the poet Imtiaz Dharker reveals her Inheritance Tracks - Babu Samjho Ishare from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, sung by Kishore Kumar; and Heroes by David Bowie.Benedict Allen is touring from June 2018 with the Ultimate Explorer Tour.My Notebook by Eric Cantona is out now. The Restless Wave, My Two Lives with John Bellany, by Helen Bellany.Luck is the Hook by Imtiaz Dharker.Sevens Heaven by Ben Ryan is published on 31st May.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

5/19/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

With Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson for parents, Eliza Carthy was unlikely to do anything else, but her enthusiasm, research and skill in arranging, writing and performing along with 2 Mercury Music Prize nominations has enabled her to fly the flag for folk music in England. She'll be playing live in the studio to Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny and talking about her latest album with her mother.Radio 4 Listener and architect Toby Carr has set himself the challenge of sea kayaking to all the locations in the shipping forecast. We ask him how, why and what has led him to such a complicated challenge!We're also joined by Martyn Waites, ex actor and stand-up comedian, now a crime-writer who has written under his own name and also the female pseudonym of Tania Carver. Susannah Walker is a design historian who has written a book about her mother's hoarding, the extent of which was discovered after her death. She joins us to talk about the significance of 'things' and the stories behind them.JP Devlin meets Brian Blessed and talks mainly about his beard.Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Child in Time by Deep Purple and Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur BrownNorma Waterson and Eliza Carthy's album is called AnchorMartyn Waites' book The Old Religion is out on 14th JuneBrian Blessed's book is called The Panther In My Kitchen: My Wild Life With AnimalsSusannah Walker's book is Life of Stuff.

5/12/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles are joined by poet Pam Ayres, who talks about her passion on hedgehogs, her time in the WRAF and the everyday events that have inspired her more recent poems. Liz O'Riordan is a breast cancer surgeon, who has had breast cancer herself. She describes how this experience has changed her bedside manner and inspired her 'Jar of Joy'.JP Devlin meets Saturday Live listener, foundling Peter Lindley, who recalls his search for identity.The fireman and fire investigation officer, Paul Osborne, is partnered with Sherlock, a five year old a co*cker Spaniel with a nose for sniffing out ignitable liquids.Leee John, Singer/songwriter with the group Imagination on his falsetto, his new single Police and Thieves, and his documentary to go with it, which reflects his strong sense of community and the area he grew up in in north London. The actor, Stephen McGann, shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses (I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo by Glenn Miller and Within You and Without You by The Beatles.The Last Hedgehog by Pam Ayres, is out now.Sherlock The Fire Brigade Dog by Paul Osborne, is out now.Police and Thieves by Imagination feat. Leee John from the Retropia album.Peter Lindley has written the story of his search for his identity in 'Please Look After Billy'Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

5/5/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 39 seconds

Sir Tim Rice talks to Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles about bringing the musical Chess back to the West End. He also reflects on his career, love of cricket and performing himself.Listener Talitha MacKenzie got in touch and is appearing on the programme to talk about her love of historical costumes and dance.Robyn Hollingworth left her life in London and returned home to rural South Wales when her dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. She's just published the frank diary she kept from this time.Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls (the alter ego of Harry Shearer) talks to JP Devlin.Gail Porter shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd and When Doves Cry by Prince.Cook and food writer Diana Henry talks about how her recipes and menus have been influenced by her childhood, travels and experiences. Chess is at the London Coliseum until Saturday 2nd June.My Mad Dad: The Diary of an Unravelling Mind by Robyn Hollingworth is out nowDerek Smalls' album Smalls Change is out now.How To Eat a Peach by Diana Henry is out now.

4/28/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by history obsessive Dr Lucy Worsley, whose mission is to make history accessible: she writes books for adults and children, she presents TV documentaries, often dressing up as historical characters to further tell their tales, and she is also Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. Her latest book is about Jane Austen, who, Lucy says, was one of the most important Georgians.Brian Conley might be best known as the host of his eponymous show, but he's played lead roles in musicals such as Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray, Oliver!, The Music Man, Barnum and Jolson for which he was nominated for a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award. He's presented the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions and appeared on TV shows such as The Grimleys and Time after Time and recorded three albums. He joins us in the middle of his latest tour: 'Still the Greatest Entertainer in His Price Range'.Elizabeth Noble is a writer of fiction who mourns the demise of the letter. She has kept letters from parents, lovers, and children and finds them not only treasures in themselves but also with content even more revealing years later. Listener Neil Rushton contacted us about a hobby of his - ice water swimming, which he does in a club run by Pauline Barker, who is the UK Country Ambassador for the International Ice Swimming Association. She joins us to talk about swimming in zero temperatures.JP Devlin goes to Sheffield in search of the Record collector store for Record Store Day. Samuel West chooses his Inheritance Tracks - Dory Previn's Play it again Sam and Matt Bianco's Get out of your lazy bed.'Jane Austen at Home' and 'Lady Mary', are both by Lucy WorsleyBrian Conley's show 'Still the Greatest Entertainer in his Price Range' is touring the UK until JuneBrian Conley's new TV series starts 16th April on Channel 4 'Buy it now' Elizabeth Noble's latest novel is 'Letters to Iris'.

4/21/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds

Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Andy Hamilton earned his comedy stripes at Cambridge, in the university's Light Entertainment Society, and has written and performed for a number of radio and television programmes from I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and Drop the Dead Donkey, to QI, to Old Harry's Game, and the award winning Outnumbered. He discusses how he manages change. Delia El-Hosayny recalls her 30 years as a bouncer, during which time such was stabbed, shot at and delivered a baby in a nightclub toilet.Saturday Live listener John Simmons shares his family story. His parents temporarily 'adopted', Jesus, a child refugee from the Spanish Civil War. John later researched the story of the 4,000 children who came to the UK from Spain and found out what happened to Jesus and his sister when they returned home.JP Devlin meets Ricky Valance - the 1960s star from a Welsh mining community who had a No.1 hit with the song Tell Laura I Love Her.Historian Dr. Laura King describes her latest work around objects and testimony from families and various communities in Leeds, which has culminated in the exhibition Remembrance. And Robert Peston chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Beethoven's Opus 131, and Still Crazy After All These Years by Paul Simon.Andy Hamilton's tour Change Management runs from 21 May - 10 June.Spanish Crossings by John Simmons, is out now in paperback.Remembrance runs at the Abbey House museum in Leeds until December 2018.Robert Peston's book WTF is published by Hodder.

4/14/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Alesha Dixon tells us about her career as singer, songwriter, author and Britain's Got Talent judge.Christian Donlan describes living with multiple sclerosis.Rev Andrew Rawding served as a British soldier in Coalisland, County Tyrone and has since returned there as rector.Hannah Wright recalls her childhood behind prison walls.Inheritance Tracks - John Gordon Sinclair chooses I Love You Because by Jim Reeves and the title track from Aladdin Sane by David Bowie.Lightning Girl by Alesha Dixon is published by Scholastic.The Unmapped Mind by Christian Donlan is published by Viking.Outside Time: A Personal History of Prison Farming by Dr Hannah Wright is published by Placewise.

4/7/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein talk to stand-up comedian Arthur Smith about his new act examining his father Syd's experiences in World War Two and as a police constable. Syd fought in north Africa, was in an Italian POW camp, was forced to work in mines in Germany and ended up in Colditz, where he was liberated by the US army.Nell Gifford rejected an academic career to run away to the circus. She loved it so much she founded her own. As Giffords Circus gears up for the summer season, Nell takes us behind the scenes and into the ring.Opera star Brindley Sherratt was born into a Salvation Army family in Lancashire. He originally wanted to be a trumpet player, but his bass voice was too good to ignore. He wants the rest of the world to appreciate how good singing can be for your physical and mental health.Shepherds Holly & Hannah Jackson don't come from an agricultural family, but their love of nature led them to start a sheep farm in Cumbria. They had to strap on their skies to rescue sheep stranded in the recent heavy snow. We join the sisters as lambing season gets underway - their most exciting time of the year.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & Suzy KleinProducer: Paul Waters.

3/31/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 17 seconds

Alexandra Burke reveals the life events that have inspired the songs on her new album. Raynor Winn was made bankrupt and lost her home, just as her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness. They embarked on the journey of their lifetime - to walk the South West Coast Path, the 630-mile. sea-swept trail from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. She discusses the impact of this on their outlook on life and ideas of home.The archaeologist and historian, Jules Hudson, describes his fascination with walled gardens. Saturday Live listener Darren Townsend-Handscomb grew up as the child of a Deaf parent. He went on to become a sign language interpreter, which has taken him to some rather unusual situations, including signing at an exorcism for a Deaf poltergeist. He's about to travel to the Gambia to train sign language interpreters.David Morrissey shares his Inheritance Tracks: She's Leaving Home by The Beatles and Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann.The Truth Is by Alexandra Burke is out now. And she starts a UK tour on 1 September.The Salt Path by Raynor Winn is out now.Walled Gardens by Jules Hudson is out now.David Morrissey is appearing in Julius Caesar at The Bridge Theatre in London until 15 April, 2018.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

3/24/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Kim Wilde joins presenters Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. She sold ten million albums, and after retiring, having a family and then a successful gardening career, has returned to the stage. She has a new album out and is about to embark on her first UK tour for 30 years. We also have Helen Tse who is a lawyer, writer and restaurateur whose book about her family story, Sweet Mandarin - also the name of her restaurant - has been turned into a play about to open at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Lutalo Muhammad is a British taekwondo athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal. He won the Gold medal in the -87 kg class at the 2012 European Taekwondo Championships.John Connell is a writer and a farmer. Farming has been in his family for generations but he never intended to follow in his father's footsteps. He followed the academic route, going to study in Australia, becoming a documentary maker and then to Canada, but he ended up finding his way back to the family farm in County Longford, Ireland and began to learn the ways of the farmer and the way of the cow.We have the inheritance tracks of cricket commentator Henry Blofeld who chooses Tit Willow from the Mikado and Bring in the Clowns by Barbra Streisand.And we'll speak to Dr Nic Rowley, one of four sports doctors are taking part in a Sport Relief challenge. They are attempting to cycle the height of Everest (29,400 feet).Kim Wilde's album Here Come the Aliens is out now, and her tour of the same name starts 30 March.Mountains: The Dreams Of Lily Kwok is on at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The first night is 22nd March in Manchester and then it goes on tour from 18th April to 2nd June. The Cow Book by John Connell is out now.Over and Out by Henry Blofeld is out now and he is touring theatres with a brand new show, 78 Retired.

3/17/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 33 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by presenter and author Katie Piper. In 2008, she survived a horrific acid attack that left her blind in one eye and required more than 200 operations. Putting the attack behind her, she launched the Katie Piper Foundation in 2009 to aid people who'd suffered similar burns and scarring. She is set to travel the country with a new Tour: What's In My Head. British ski champion turned Olympic commentator and Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott joins us to talk Olympics, injury and motherhood.Listener Clive England always knew he was adopted, but until last October he wasn't sure who his birth family were. After some careful research, he tracked down them down and spent two weeks travelling across America to meet with them. Cross stitch traditionally conjures up images of neat samplers, pretty cottages and cute puppy dogs until you look on social media and see the diverse range of attitudes, taste and subversion going on in the genre. Unofficial cross stitch spokesperson, Mr X stitch aka Jamie Chalmers, joins us to tell us about this online revolution.Cleo Laine and her daughter Jacqui Dankworth talk to reporter Anna Bailey about their singing careers.We have the inheritance tracks of broadcaster Jeremy Vine who chooses Old Comrades, The Band of HM Royal Marines and Elvis Costello's Lipstick Vogue.Katie Piper is touring the UK with What's In My Head. From Mother to Daughter: The Things I'd Tell My Child by Katie Piper with her mum Dianne out now.Jacqui Dankworth is on tour now.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

3/10/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

The conductor, Charles Hazlewood, believes in making music inclusive, from projects fusing five Grime MC's with the BBC Concert Orchestra to founding the world's first paraorchestra, inspired by his daughter Eliza. He presents a two-part series on BBC Four - Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism.Lulah Ellender has written Elisabeth's Lists. Part memoir, part family history, part exploration of a life through lists, inspired by Elisabeth, the grandmother she never knew. Cassidy Little is a former ballet dancer and Royal Marine Commando, who lost his lower right leg in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011. He has since won 'The People's Strictly' in 2015; and is about to star in the play Soldier On which opens at the Playground Theatre in London on 13 March. Today is the seventh annual World Pasty Championships. Vanessa Farr from Bristol, won the Cornish Pasty Amateur section last year. She explains what makes a winning pasty.The novelist and broadcaster Fern Britton talks about her recent health scare, her latest novel Coming Home and forthcoming acting role in Calendar Girls the Musical. And classical crossover artist, Russell Watson, shares his Inheritance Tracks: Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo and You are So Beautiful, sung by Joe co*cker.Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism is on BBC Four on Friday 9 March at 9pm.Russell Watson and his Orchestra are currently on tour around the country with the show Canzoni d'Amore.

3/6/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Debbie McGee tells us about her time on Strictly, how she needs to keep busy and life two years after the death of her husband, Paul Daniels.Joe Cushnan's father walked out on his family, never to return or make any contact. Joe is now trying to find out about the life his father subsequently embarked on.Rosamund Thorpe is sure she has Scottish blood and knows where it came from.Peter Lovatt aka Dr Dance tells us how dance helped him learn to read and go on to have a career as a dance academic.Composer Debbie Wiseman chooses her Inheritance Tracks - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing by The New Seekers and Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major, Opus 9 No 2.Debbie McGee will be appearing on The Pilgrimage on BBC 2 over Easter.Peter Lovatt's Boogie on the Brain Tour takes place in April, June and July.Debbie Wiseman's new album, The Glorious Garden, a collaboration with gardener and writer Alan Titchmarsh, is out on 2 March.

2/24/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds

The actor and producer Greg Wise is brother of Clare Wise, who died of cancer in 2016. Greg has co-written a book about how he and Clare dealt with her illness - the appointments, the hair loss, the chemo, the showers... and the cat, Grably.Jess French is a zoologist, naturalist and entomologist and presents CBeebies Minibeast Adventure with Jess. Her passion for scorpions and tarantulas began while helping her dad with his exotic invertebrate-breeding business and often acted as animal handler when he supplied them for TV shows.Jess Robinson came from a musical family and trained as a classical singer. She explains how she got waylaid by impressions and vocal gymnastics, and ran away to join the circus. She has since performed at the Edinburgh Festival and reached the semi-final of Britain's Got Talent.Spencer Conway, English teacher, decided at forty-two to abandon The Canterbury Tales and make his own epic pilgrimage to Africa, which he circumnavigated on a motorbike. He has done the same in South America, a journey from which he's just returned. He talks about crashing in the salt flats in Bolivia and being stung by a killer wasp.Joanna Trollope chooses her Inheritance Tracks La Mer by Charles Trenet and Mythical Kings and Iguanas by Dory Previn.Not That Kind of Love, by Clare & Greg Wise is published on 22 February.Minibeasts with Jess French is published on 8 March.Jess Robinson's tour Here Come The Girls starts in Glasgow on 1 March and culminates on 29 April in Birmingham.Joanna Trollope's latest novel An Unsuitable Match is published on 22 February.

2/17/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

Dame Evelyn Glennie tells presenters Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about her mission to find new ways to help people really listen. She blazed a trail as the world's first professional solo percussionist, having become profoundly deaf at the age of 12. When she's not touring internationally, there's little she likes better than getting out her trusty metal detector and going searching for buried treasure.Max Beesley was no stranger to showbiz glamour even before he became a TV star, having played drums onstage with Robbie Williams, Stevie Wonder and The Jam. But he was inspired by Robert De Niro to make the switch to acting. He's starred in series like Suits and Hotel Babylon, and is back on screen playing the rugged Harry Sharrow in the second series of Jamestown - which has been described as a Jacobean western.Jordanian-Irish singer songwriter Keeva explains how she copes with anxiety and depression while putting her life into song and performing on stage. She also pulls pints in a bar, and draws artistic inspiration from her customers' personal dramas. Have a listen to see if you recognise yourself. Storyteller Matt Hopwood shares love stories he gathered while walking from Lindisfarne in Northumberland to Callanish on the Isle of Lewis. During his 500 mile journey across Scotland, Matt relied on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. His mission was to listen, and the tales he heard of love for partner, friend, family and place are collected in his book, A Human Love Story - Journeys to the Heart.We also hear Martin McCutcheon's Inheritance Tracks, and take a icy dip with some chilly open water swimmers at Bardowie.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & Rev Richard ColesProducer: Paul Waters.

2/13/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the actress Jenny Agutter who plays Sister Julienne in Call the Midwife. She recalls her time living in Hollywood and reveals her passion for rap. Before being called to the bar, Tony Kent was a heavyweight amateur boxer. As a criminal defence lawyer he's defended high profile clients including Anthony Joshua. He has now written his first novel - Killer Intent.JP Devlin meets Madeleine Neave to discover why she set up the Antique Breadboard Museum at her home in Putney, London.Adam Golightly, best known for his column The Widower of the Parish, describes how he's sewed ribbons on to ballet slippers, taken up stained glass window making and his introduction to internet dating.Mehreen Baig is a former teacher and now a blogger and reporter who appeared in the reality show Muslims Like Us. And Suzi Quatro chooses her Inheritance Tracks: God Bless the Child by Billie Holliday and Try and Little Tenderness by Otis Reading.Call the Midwife is on BBC One on Sundays at 8pm.Killer Intent by Tony Kent is out now.Being Adam Golightly - One Man's bumpy voyage to the other side of grief, is published on 8 February.Mehreen Baig: Islam, Women and Me is on BBC1 on Tuesday at 10.45.

2/3/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Jo Wood's first foray into the public eye was as a popular newspaper's "Face of 1972" aged 17. After 5 years working as a model she met Ronnie Wood and spent the next 30 years living the whirlwind rock and roll lifestyle of the Rolling Stones until her marriage came to an abrupt end. She has since reinvented herself, promoting an organic lifestyle and her passion for interiors and fashion. She joins Aasmah and Richard in the studio.We also have Mollie Hughes, a climber who became the youngest woman in the world to scale both the north and south sides of Mount Everest. Marcellus Baz won BBC Sport Unsung Hero award 2016 for his work in breaking the cycle of crime via boxing at his school in Nottingham. And actor Jim Carter, best known for playing butler Carson in Downton Abbey. He's interviewing other actors in a series at the Tricycle Theatre.We have the Inheritance Tracks of legendary DJ Tony Blackburn, who chooses Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson and I'm Still Waiting by Diana RossAnd for Holocaust Memorial Day, JP meets listener Veronica who talks about a special piece of clothing she has that belonged to the Grandmother she never met.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

1/27/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Broadcaster and author Dan Snow is the history guy - from first appearing on our screens with the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, with dad Peter to numerous other documentaries including the Rise of the Royal Navy, Battlefield Britain series and a documentary about his great great grandfather, former Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Alan Fell is Head of Props at the Royal Shakespeare Company - from severed heads to an armoured tank - creating weird stuff is part of the fun of his job. Louise Groves lost her parents and brother before she was sixteen and was placed in a foster family. She found the experience so positive, she became a foster parent herself and has fostered 48 children.Cookery writer Sumayya Usmani was a lawyer before following her true passion for food and is now an authority on Pakistani cuisine. She presents BBC Scotland's Kitchen Cafe.JP meets Saturday Live listener, Mike Farquhar, tells of a childhood event that he believes changed his life. Actor Josette Simon shares her Inheritance Tracks - Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles and You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Mountain Berries and Desert Spice by Sumayya Usmani is published by Frances Lincoln.Josette Simon stars in Antony and Cleopatra at the Barbican in London until 20th January 2018.Dan Snow has recently launched new history channel, History Hit TV.Alan Fell is currently working on productions of The duch*ess of Malfi, MacBeth, The Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich and a First Encounters Schools project of Julius Caesar at the RSC, Stratford- upon Avon,.

1/20/2018 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein are joined by the commentator and former England Rugby hooker, Brian Moore, who talks about his career, recent health scare and passion for opera and wine. 18 year old Liv Cooke is the current Football Freestyle World Champion. She describes how sitting at home with an injury led her to the sport.The actress, Julie Hesmondhalgh, recalls her childhood in Accrington, playing the first transgender role in a soap, and her love of campervans.JP meets Saturday Live listener, Pat Ellison Reed, to find out why her mum taught her Jujitsu.GP and TV doctor, Rangan Chatterjee, gives common-sense tips for a healthier lifestyle; describes how he almost missed his own child's illness and the joy he finds by playing in a band.Feargal Sharkey shares his Inheritance Tracks - Brown Eyed Handsome Man performed by Buddy Holly and Aceperience by Hardfloor.Brian Moore will be commentating on the Six Nations Championship, which runs from 3 February - 17 March.Julie Hesmondhalgh is appearing in the play The Almighty Sometimes at the Manchester Royal Exchange from 9-24 February.The 4 Pillar Plan, How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, is out now.Liv Cooke is taking part in The World Freestyle Football Championships on 22 February in Tokyo.

1/13/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Actor Phil Daniels joins Aasmah and Richard in the studio. Since his first big role aged 19 as the lead in cult The Who film Quadrophenia, he hasn't stopped working in film, theatre or TV including Eastenders; Chicken Run; Les Miserables; Shakespeare; and the voice in Blur's Park Life. Now actor Phil Daniels is putting his versatility to good use in a new production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stefanie Reid is a five-time world record holder, reigning world champion in long jump, and triple Paralympic medallist in the long jump and 200m sprint. She'll be talking about her journey and the future. Fashion historian author and vintage clothes expert Amber Butchart joins us to talk about the significance of clothes in our lives, as explored in her new show 'A Stitch in Time', which fuses biography, art and the history of fashion to explore the lives of historical figures through the clothes they wore. A couple of years ago, after hearing a talk by a colleague, listener and teacher Helen Brace decided to set herself a new year challenge, but instead of choosing something to give up, she wanted to add something to her life. Last year she decided to walk a 1000 miles, raise a 1000 pounds for charity and read 1000 pages for pleasure each month. What has she challenged herself to this year?Texas singer and songwriter Sharleen Spiteri chooses her inheritance tracks. She chooses Rock the Casbah by The Clash and These Boots are Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra.Our reporter Anna Bailey meets Cyril and his barber Peter.Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde opens on 14 February at Rose Theatre Kingston and then tours the countryA Stitch in Time with Amber Butchart is on BBC4 on Wednesday evenings from 3rd JanuaryBarber Shop Chronicles runs at the National Theatre until 9th JanuaryProducer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

1/6/2018 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

The poet Lemn Sissay, lexicographer Susie Dent and conservationist Ian Redmond join the Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Lemn Sissay is a poet and broadcaster who has written extensively about his childhood in care. His new collection of poetry Gold from the Stone is published by Canongate Books.Susie Dent is a lexicographer who is the resident word expert in Dictionary Corner on Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Her book Dent's Modern Tribes - The Secret Languages of Britain is published by John Murray Publishers.Ian Redmond is a wildlife biologist and conservationist, renowned for his work with great apes and elephants, who worked closely with the late Dr Dian Fossey, JP Devlin meets singer Barry Manilow and singer and activist Mavis Staples shares her inheritance tracks - Will the Circle Be Unbroken by the Staple Singers and What's Going On by Marvin Gaye.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

12/30/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the lyricist and musician Chris Difford who, along with Glenn Tilbrook, co-founded Squeeze - with hits such as 'Cool For Cats' and 'Up The Junction'. He talks about his life from early years in south London to playing Madison Square Garden, battling addiction and receiving two Ivor Novello Awards. Dr. Rachel Clarke describes the atmosphere on the hospital ward during the festive season, and the humanity shown by patients and staff alike.Anna Bailey meets Brendan O'Carroll aka Mrs Brown, one of the most popular sitcom characters on our screens today, to find out about the man behind the cardigan and the curlers.Gwenda Gofton recalls her varied Christmases as an evacuee during the war, working as nurse where she turned the ward into a jungle/rainforest, to life as a vicar's wife and opening her doors to strangers.John Lloyd is the creator and founding producer of The News Quiz, Spitting Image, Not the Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder & QI - billed as "the world's most impossible quiz". He provides obscure facts and explains why what we think we know, may be only partially true.Peggy Seeger shares her Inheritance Tracks - Goodnight Irene performed by Leadbelly and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face performed by Roberta Flack.Some Fantastic Place - My Life In and Out of Squeeze by Chris Difford is out now, and he'll be on an acoustic book tour in the Spring of 2018.Your Life in My Hands by Dr. Rachel Clarke.Mrs Brown's Boys is on BBC One on Christmas Day and New Year's Day at 10pm.John Lloyd's 1,423 QI Facts To Bowl You Over is out now. Peggy Seeger's The First Time Ever - songs and a memoir- are out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

12/23/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Hit singer songwriter James Blunt joins Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny to talk hits, the army and acerbic tweets.Actor Abubakar Salim is the new lead in Assassin's Creed, a video game. We ask him why he wanted to act in a game, how it compares to other roles and how his martial arts study helped the role.We have explosive ordinance disposal expert turned reality TV Love Islander Camilla Thurlow. Listener Clare Rixon has run a marathon every month in 2017, set up a virtual running challenge and runs for her psychological well being.And ahead of the Strictly final we have the Inheritance Tracks of last year's winner, Ore Oduba who chooses Pride by U2 and One Last Time by Ariana Grande.James Blunt's lastest album is The Afterlove Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Eleanor Garland.

12/16/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 47 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein meet astronaut Tim Peake; writer and actor Sanjeev Kohli and cake maker Cynthia Stroud.Tim Peake is a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. He finished his 186-day Principia mission on the International Space Station for Expedition 46/47 when he landed back on earth on June 18th 2016. His new book Ask an Astronaut is published by Century.Sanjeev Kohli is a writer, actor and comedian who stars in the BBC Radio Four series fa*gs, Mags and Bags and the Scottish sitcom Still Game. Cynthia Stroud is a cake maker who is one of the four modern confectioners in BBC Two's The Sweet Makers at Christmas. They'll recreate the treats of Christmas past, and discover how their predecessors helped create many of the culinary festive traditions we enjoy today - from Queen Victoria's favoured Boar's Head cake to sugar mice and chocolate apples and oranges. The Sweet Makers at Christmas is broadcast on BBC Two on December 15th.Also on the programme the actor David Jason shares his inheritance tracks - the Darktown Poker Club by Phil Harris and Holding Back the Years by Simply Red.Producer: Paula McGinley.Editor: Eleanor Garland.

12/9/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

The actress and Radio 2 DJ, Liza Tarbuck, joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss annuals, puzzles and why she's distracted by everything.Michael Smith became the first person to fly solo around the world in an amphibious plane, retracing the 1938 Qantas, Imperial Flying Boat Routes between Sydney, Southampton and New York. He explains why he visited 70 cinemas along the way. JP Devlin meets Saturday Live listener Jill Conibere, who got in touch to tell us about her invention: It was very simple, it was very practical and... it was very personal.Animal handler Henrietta Fiddian-Green describes the challenges of looking after sheep, a lamb, horses and Chester the Donkey for the Wintershall Nativity Play, Meanwhile, Graeme "The Dogfather" Hall explains how to deal with dogs behaving badly, and why he likes to Tango in his spare time.And the singer Seal shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses - Smile by Nat King Cole and God Give Me Strength, by Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach.Liza Tarbuck's book I An Distracted By Everything - An Annual for Grown-ups, is out now.Voyage of the Southern Sun, An Amazing Solo Journey Around the World is by Michael Smith.The Wintershall Nativity Play runs from 13-17 December.Seal's new album Standards, featuring his own version of the song Smile, is out now.

12/2/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 22 seconds

Bruce Dickinson is best known as lead singer one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, Iron Maiden. But he's also a airline captain, international fencer, radio presenter, and writer, who has now written his autobiography. The man once billed a "Human air raid siren" joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir in the studio.Alby Shale's father, Christopher Shale, died of a heart attack aged 56 in 2011 when Alby was 20. Not long before he died, he'd taken Alby to Rwanda to show him the volunteering work he'd been doing there, which had resulted in a plan to open the country's first national Cricket stadium. After his father's sudden death, Alby decided to help complete the project and joins us after having just returned from Rwanda where he watched the stadium's opening ceremony and inaugural match.We also meet Shobna Gulati, actress, writer and dancer known for her roles in Dinnerladies and Coronation Street, about to star in Daisy Pulls it off.And listener Clorinda Goodman is a solicitor turned stone mason. She will join us to talk about what she's got out of turning to this physically demanding and creative craft in later life.We also have the inheritance tracks of television presenter, reality TV star, life coach and former professional footballer, Jeff Brazier.and JP gets an insiders tour of Birmingham Royal Ballet's Nutcracker.What does this Button do by Bruce Dickinson is out nowDaisy Pulls it Off is at the Park Theatre in London until 13 JanuaryBirmingham Royal Ballet's production of The Nutcracker is at the Birmingham Hippodrome until the 13th of DecemberProducer: Corinna JonesEditor: Beverley Purcell.

11/25/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 43 seconds

Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher thrillers, talks to Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny about his latest book The Midnight Line.Actress Alison Steadman discusses Hold the Sunset, her upcoming sitcom with John Cleese, and her children's book - Spider!Space engineer Abbie Hutty reveals what it takes to design the new Mars Rover due for the red planet in 2020.And TV archaeologist Alex Langlands explains why he thinks we need to do more things for ourselves, and stop relying on machines and gadgets. It's in his new book, Craeft - How Traditional Crafts Are About More Than Just Making. (And yes, that's 'craeft' with an e.)Presenters: Aasmah Mir and Shaun KeavenyProducer: Paul Waters.

11/21/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Katie Melua joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. She talks about her childhood from Georgia to Belfast and London, her music, and she describes how the late Sir Terry Wogan championed her career and how she has released this year's official BBC Children in Need single in his honour. Saturday Live hosts Radio 4's BBC Children in Need auction, offering listeners the chance to bid for some amazing prize packages to raise money for BBC Children in Need. Auctioneer, Will Farmer is on hand to update the bids. Jonathan Agnew describes The Test Match Special VIP Experience at Lord's; Corrie Corfield reveals life Behind the Scenes at BBC Radio News, and Barry Cryer, talks about I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Experience, including the legendary Mornington Crescent.LINES ARE NOW CLOSED - DO NOT CALL OR TRY TO BID.We hear from children who have been helped by projects supported by Children in Need. Anna Bailey visits an equine therapy project, Taking the Reins. Poppy tells Aasmah how her visits to the Shakespeare Hospice have helped her to deal with the loss of her dad; and Richard catches up with Luke, who's been supported by Stick 'n' Step, and is en-route from London to Glasgow, as part of The One Show's Rickshaw Challenge.(If you are listening to this on demand competitions may no longer be running.)And Nick Knowles shares his Inheritance Tracks: Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens and Synchronicity II by The Police.Fields of Gold is out now. Katie Melua will give her first television performance of the song on the BBC Children In Need Appeal Show on November 17.DIY SOS - The Million Pound Build for Children In Need will be on BBC One on November 15 at 8pm.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

11/11/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 48 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by broadcaster and actor Reggie Yates. From Desmonds to Top of the Pops, he's been on camera nearly all of his life, but it's as a documentary filmmaker that he's now familiar, investigating everything from religion in South Africa, race and hom*ophobia in Russia to gun crime in Chicago. John Virgo has spent the last forty years playing snooker as a player and commentator. Famous for his impersonations of fellow players from Ray Reardon to Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins and and his jazzy waistcoats, he'll be telling us how he went from a childhood in Salford, through smoky snooker dens, to winning the UK Snooker Championship.Mandy Hickson is a former Royal Air Force fast jet pilot - only the second woman to fly a Tornado GR4 aircraft - who served on the front line defending the no fly zone in the Gulf.Julia Newth is a Bewick swan specialist at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, who is awaiting the arrival of the Bewick swans to the UK this weekend from their summer billets in Russia's Arctic north.The musician, Benny Andersson, formerly of the seventies group Abba reveals his Inheritance Tracks - Rattvikarnas Ganglat by Dalarnas Spelmansforbund Mon oeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix (Samson Et Dalila) by Maria Callas.If you are listening to this programme on demand, competitions may no longer be running.Unseen by Reggie Yates is published by BBC Books. Say Goodnight JV - John Virgo - My Autobiography is published by John Blake.

11/4/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds

Goldie, producer, DJ and artist; actor Tim Bentinck and model and campaigner Mary Russell join Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles..Born in Walsall and brought up in a series of children's homes, Goldie made his name as a graffiti artist before becoming a sought after producer and DJ. As an actor he appeared in the James Bond film the World is Not Enough and learned how to conduct an orchestra in the BBC series Maestro. His new book, All Things Remembered, written with Ben Thompson, looks back at his eventful life and reveals how hot yoga has helped him come to terms with his past. All Things Remembered is published by Faber and Faber.Mary Russell is a model, disability rights campaigner and a television personality. Born with achondroplasia - a common cause of dwarfism - she also works for a range of charities which aim to educate people about disability. Mary has appeared in the television series the Undateables and more recently in the BBC series Without Limits in which a group of people with disabilities travelled to Vietnam. Actor Tim Bentinck has played the role of David Archer in BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers for the past 35 years. In his memoir, Being David Archer, he recounts his varied life from being born in Tasmania to being the Earl of Portland (a title he inherited from a distant cousin) the voice of Mind the Gap on the Piccadilly Line, an HGV truck driver, an inventor and the voice of James Bond in the computer game The World is Not Enough. Being David Archer is published by Constable and Robinson.Also on the programme is Eloise Sentito who left her job as an academic to drive around the country in a campervan which is now her home and where she weaves blankets and shawls inspired by the landscape around her. JP Devlin visits Rosamund Young who runs a farm in the Cotswolds where she observes the mannerisms and relationships developed by her cattle - all the better to learn from their behaviour. The Secret Life of Cows is published by Faber and Faber.And comedian Shazia Mirza reveals her inheritance tracks - Verdi's The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from the opera Nabucco and Heroes by David Bowie.Producer: Paula McGinley.

10/28/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by chef, restaurateur and TV presenter Rick Stein whose latest culinary journey has taken him to California and Mexico. Showjumper Nick Skelton went on to win Olympic Gold after breaking his neck in a fall.After 60 years, Lin Sunderland has fulfilled her ambition to become a lighthouse keeper.Mary-Ann Ochota has been travelling the waterways of Britain, discovering how boats have shaped our lives.Plus, Inheritance Tracks from musician Nitin Sawhney. Nitin chooses So What by Miles Davis and Mustt Mustt by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Massive Attack remix).The Road to Mexico by Rick Stein is published by BBC Books.Gold by Nick Skelton is published by Orion.Britain Afloat presented by Mary-Ann Ochota is currently on BBC 2 , Saturdays at 8.00pm.Nitin Sawhney's latest project is the score for the film Breathe which is released on the 27th October.

10/21/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by the Queen of Baking, Mary Berry who has been teaching the nation to cook for over four decades. She's now turning her attention to home maintenance and tells us how to air our beds and clean our loos in a new book. Harry Judd is best known as the drummer for pop band McFly and a winner of Strictly Come Dancing. Now a fitness fanatic, he explains how exercise has helped him get over his anxiety, OCD and panic attacks Father and daughter performers Victoria and Mike Melody tell the story of how after a fatal diagnosis Mike planned his own funeral with Victoria. After a reprieve, they decided to go ahead with the funeral away - and put on a show about it. Dentist and mum of four, Ursula Goode, recently won a gold medal in gymnastics at the British Adult Gymnastics championship at the age of 44. The broadcaster and theatre critic, Libby Purves reveals her Inheritance Tracks - Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Noel Coward's There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner.Mary's Household Tips and Tricks - Your Guide to Happiness in the Home by Mary Berry is published by Michael Joseph.Ugly Chief with Victoria & Mike Melody runs at the Battersea Arts Centre from 31 October - 18 November.Get Fit, Get Happy by Harry Judd is published by Coronet.Libby Purves presents Planks and a Passion on Radio 4 on 17th October.Producer: Annette WellsEditor: Eleanor Garland.

10/14/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny are joined by the broadcaster Gloria Hunniford - who started out as a singer at the age of seven and went on to become the first woman to have a daily radio programme on BBC Radio 2. She describes how she has interviewed everyone from Salman Rushdie to Doris Day and even managed to stay on air during a bombing. Arctic explorer Erling Kagge discusses the enemy of all radio broadcasters - SILENCE. Head Concierge, Nigel Bowen, explains how he keeps guests happy at one of London's 5 star hotels. From having to arrange for frozen breast milk to be flown across the Atlantic to tracking down an obscure perfume with no name. The comedian, writer and agony aunt, Viv Groskop, shares life lessons gleaned from Russian literature and explains why she is such a Strictly superfan, and The Rev. Richard Coles updates us on his preparations for Strictly Come Dancing. Johnny Ball reveals his Inheritance Tracks - Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing) performed by Benny Goodman and the title track of Guys and Dolls.My Life, by Gloria Hunniford is published on 19 October. Silence in the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge.The Anna Karenina Fix is by Viv Groskop.Wonders beyond numbers: A brief history of all things mathematical, by Johnny Ball.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

10/7/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Monty Don joins presenters Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny to discuss his television gardening career, his new book Down To Earth, and how getting your hands dirty is good for your mental well-being.Tree climber and award-winning documentary cameraman James Aldred shares his love of trees and the adventures he's had with gorillas, leopards, snakes and poisonous frogs in rainforests around the world.Soil scientist Jackie Stroud loves worms. She reveals why.And listener Suzanne Gray explains why, at the age of 49, she joined the Territorial Army to work as an operating theatre nurse in a military field hospital in Afghanistan.We'll also hear the inheritance tracks of TV property presenter Kirstie Allsopp.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & Shaun KeavenyProducer: Paul Waters.

9/30/2017 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 2 seconds

Presented by Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny.The singer Marc Almond talks about his new album of 1960s orchestral pop and his diverse career using world music influences, including Russian folksongs. Saturday Live listener Lisa Cooper tells the fascinating story of her grandmother Pearl, who was born in 1900 in a village near Kiev, in Russia and experienced pogroms, the Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War. The 'Poetry Postie', Sally Crabtree, started out as a promising gymnast. However, a TS Eliot poem inspired her to try a career in poetry, and taking it into the community, where her projects have ranged from Poetry Bingo to Edible Poetry.JP Devlin meets Strictly Come Dancing's warm up man, Stuart Holdham, and Aasmah phones Richard, who's preparing for the big night!At 26 Tom Aikens became the youngest British chef to be awarded two Michelin stars. He reveals what spurred him on to succeed, and why he competed in the Marathon des Sables - to run six marathons across the Sahara Desert in five days.Fergal Keane shares his Inheritance Tracks - The Parting Glass, performed by The Voice Squad, and The Scatterlings of Africa, by Johnny Clegg and Juluka.Marc Almond's new album - SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS' is out now, and he begins a UK tour on 3 October. Sally Crabtree's latest project CreativiTEA - wake up the wonder - launches on 9 October.Wounds: A Memoir of Love and War, by Fergal Keane - will be Book of The Week on Radio 4, starting on Monday 25 September.A Forgotten Land, by Lisa Cooper.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

9/23/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

As he prepares to join the forthcoming Living Legends tour, David Essex tells us about his route from blue-eyed East End boy to star of stage, screen and soap via a barrage of screaming fans. The Living Legends tour begins in October.Comedian Katherine Ryan joins the Saturday Live panel show ahead of her stand-up tour. She'll tell us how she's found her move from Canada to the UK has been good for her career and... her skin. Katherine's tour runs from September to March.For Barney Shaw it's all about the attraction of olfaction. The former civil servant sniffs out the biology, psychology and history of our sense of smell. The Smell of Fresh Rain by Barney Shaw is published by Icon.Following a horse riding accident Claire Lomas became paraplegic. She has since become a campaigner, fundraiser and completed the 2012 London Marathon in 17 days using a robotic suit.Dianne Buswell is the Rev's partner for Strictly. She'll tell us about the challenges that lie ahead.Plus, the Inheritance Tracks of guitar hero Wilko Johnson. He chooses Cathy's Clown by the Everly Brothers and Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan.

9/16/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Jeremy Vine recalls his dad-built tree house and hoisting Karen Clifton aloft on Strictly. Sally Goble tells us what it's like to swim the channel. Malachy Tallack spends his time cresting the ocean wave in search of legendary and lost islands of the worldAnd look heavenwards with Penny Thornton, chef-astrologer, for tips on going Virgotarian...Your Thank You and the Inheritance Tracks form Anthea Turner.

9/9/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by Stephen McGann, who plays Dr. Turner in BBC TV series Call the Midwife. He reveals why he has combined his passion for genealogy, with his academic interest in the social dimensions of medicine, to write a personal history of his family. Sarah Walker's father wrote the Countryman's Diary column in a couple of local newspapers until his death earlier this year. Sarah describes how she is now carrying on the tradition by writing her own column, The Countryman's Daughter, using his archive. Grace Savage is two-time UK Female beatbox champion, two-time UK Team Beatbox Champion - she explains how to beat box, record loops and why she used an ironing board in her act. The DJ Jo Whiley is an avid gardener. Anna Bailey visits her in Northamptonshire to discover the natural sounds she enjoys away from music.Despite training for the priesthood, A.N. Wilson left to concentrate on his writing, including biographies of famous figures from Jesus to Tolstoy, and most recently Charles Darwin. He talks about his particular interest in the Victorians and his family background in the potteries. With Inheritance Tracks from Brendan Gleeson: he chooses Teddy Bears' Picnic and Sweet Thames Flow Softly by Planxty sung by Christy Moore.Flesh and Blood by Stephen McGann is published by Simon & Schuster.Jo Whiley is presenting Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park on 10 September.Grace Savage has a UK tour starting in Birmingham on the 29 September, ending in London with Soundcrash at the Arch Space on 11 October.Charles Darwin, Victorian Mythmaker by A.N. Wilson, is published by John Murray.

9/2/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 43 seconds

Sixty years in showbiz for Marty Wilde this year. The south London boy was signed by the famously unsentimental pop Svengali Larry Parnes, and rose to fame with the generation that included Sir Cliff and Billy Fury. He co-wrote Kids in America for his daughter, 80s pop star Kim Wilde, and has just produced his granddaughter's cover of the Lulu hit 'I'm a Tiger'. If that were not enough, this autumn he's off tour, the Solid Gold Rock'n'Roll TourLara Jewitt's office is pretty unusual - the Tropical Nursery and the Alpine Nursery at Kew Gardens - where the world's rarest plant life begins. She has travelled widely around South America in search of rare plants and most recently won Gold with her team at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.Sweetpea Slight grew up I suppose unconventionally in Dorset, the daughter of artists, but it was theatre for which she was destined. Event intervened, when just before she went to audition for drama school she got rather annexed by the theatre producer Thelma Holt, as famous for her eccentricity as for her nouse. She spent the next twenty years as Thelma Holt's assistant before finally making her move upstage. She's written a very fine book about it with the very fine title, 'Get Me The Urgent Biscuits'. There's not much Roger McGough doesn't know about poetry. He was one of three poets who contributed to the anthology The Mersey Sound back in 1967. He's president of The Poetry Society and has published more than 50 anthologies. This year is also the 50th anniversary of his love poem Summer With Monika.Inheritance Tracks this week come from Robert Webb - his new book is a sort of literary memoir of his journey from Boyz2Men - but lately has been best known as the hopeless Jeremy in Peep Show; and his West End Bertie Wooster was the talk of the Drones. He's returning, firmly packaged with David Mitchell, in a new series for Channel Four called Back. Thank Yous from Esta Charkham .....J P Devlin on Gnomes......and much much moreAnd, our question this week is "What is the most unusual thing in your garden"Get in touch and don't forget to leave a number in case JP Devlin wants to call you backEMAIL: [emailprotected]TEXT: 84844TWEET: #bbcsaturdaylivePresenters: Aasmah Mir & the Rev. Richard ColesProducer: Maire Devine.

8/26/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 43 seconds

Actor Simon Williams; singer Heather Small; writer John Higgs and angler Marina Gibson join Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles.The actor Simon Williams got his big break playing James Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. He is currently starring as Justin Elliott in the BBC Radio 4 series the Archers and a mysterious property developer - known as "the chairman" - in East Enders on BBC One. He is performing in Posting Letters to the Moon with his wife, the actress Lucy Fleming in which the couple read the wartime letters between Lucy's parents Celia Johnson and her husband Peter Fleming. Posting Letters to the Moon is at the Jermyn Street Theatre on November 19th.Heather Small is a singer and songwriter, best known for her work with the soul band M People who came to attention with hits including Moving on Up, One Night in Heaven and Search for the Hero. Now a solo performer, Heather is a former contestant on the BBC One series Strictly Come Dancing. Heather Small is on tour in 2018.Marina Gibson is a passionate angler and fishing instructor who started trout fishing at the age of 5. Her fishing trips have taken her around the world - she has cast her line for trout in Norway and for milkfish, bonefish and triggerfish on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.John Higgs is a writer. In his new book Watling Street he takes a journey along Watling Street, from Dover to Anglesey - a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth and Chaucer and Dickens. Watling Street - Travels through Britain and its Ever-Present Past is published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson.Also on the programme DJ and filmmaker Don Letts reveals his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/19/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 21 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the chef and musician Levi Roots, whose business success began following an appearance on BBC Two's Dragon's Den. He's performed with James Brown, been nominated for a Best Reggae Act MOBO award and has returned to his musical roots with Reggae Reggae Hits. Alastair Sawday describes the joys of travelling, and travelling slow. Dominic Sewell is a champion jouster. He is at Dover Castle taking part in the first modern day joust, alongside Tobias Capwell against France.The stuntwoman Annabel Wood recalls doubling for Hollywood's leading actresses including stunts for Game of Thrones and the latest Mission Impossible film.JP meets listener Ant Grant, whose father's death inspired him to take up photography.Anoushka Shankar chooses her Inheritance Tracks - Tana Mana and Shanti Mantra - both by her father Ravi Shankar.Levi Roots presents Reggae Reggae Hits.Travelling Light, by Alastair Sawday is out now.Anoushka Shankar is playing at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on the 15 August and at the International Edinburgh Festival on the 16 August.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/12/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Good morning from Blenheim, where to the sounds of the xxxx brass band, we join Countryfile Live for an early harvest festival of things rural.We're joined by John Craven, who's been reporting country matters from mad cow disease to morris dancing for nearly thirty years. His co-presenter James Wong, ethnobiologist and man who knows his anise from his edamame joins us too... ....from the Blenheim Palace staff, social historian Antonia Keaney is here to talk parks and gardens, blue blood and green backs, kind hearts and coronets... ....and marriage guidance is available from Rabbi Jonathan Romain, whose new book revisits hijacked weddings, catastrophic funerals, and the various triumphs and disasters that attend the human condition. All these, plus Inheritance Tracks from actor Miranda Richardson; and whiskered men in tweed shouting "get off my land" at JP Devlin to come.Presenters: Aasmah Mir & the Rev Richard ColesProducer: Maire DevineEditor: Eleanor Garland.

8/5/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project; actor and writer John Gordon Sinclair; performer Sophie Willan and confectioner Andy Baxendale join Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles.Sir Tim Smit co-founded the Eden Project in Cornwall in 2001. The Dutch born businessman is also known for restoring the Lost Gardens of Heligan with John Nelson. It's 25 years since these gardens were restored to their former glory. This week the Eden Project launched a new company Eden Project International Ltd (EPIL) to establish Eden projects with international partners around the world. Eden Project International is currently working on three projects in China and others in Australia and New Zealand. John Gordon Sinclair is an author and actor, best known for playing Gregory in Bill Forsyth's film Gregory's Girl. In 2012 he turned his attention to writing crime novels and his current book, Walk In Silence, is the story of lawyer Keira Lynch who is caught up in the murky Albanian underworld. As an actor Gordon was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Newcomer for Gregory's Girl and his first outing in London's West End in She Loves Me won him a Best Actor Olivier award. Walk in Silence is published by Faber and Faber. Gordon features in the television drama Diana and I which will be broadcast on BBC Two later this year. Comedian Sophie Willan's new show Branded explores why she feels like a well-travelled alien - fitting in with no particular class or culture but still constantly being put into boxes by others. Branded by her working class background, her gender, her ambition, and her unapologetic 'Northerness', she explains the misunderstandings she's experienced in different environments. Her previous show On Record tackled the story of her childhood in care and the impact of getting access to her case files at 23. Branded is at the Pleasance Courtyard: Bunker 2, Edinburgh.Andy Baxendale is a sweet consultant who features in the BBC Two series the Sweetmakers which explores the life of confectioners in late 19th and early 20th century England. This was a time when cheap sugar meant sweets for every class in society and the modern brands that we still know and love today were created. Using period equipment, original recipes and authentic ingredients, Andy and his fellow confectioners recreate sweets of the past and discover the adulterants and toxic colours used in sweets, the Quaker families who dominated confectionery, and the poignant letters sent back from the First World War trenches. The Sweetmakers is broadcast on BBC Two.Producer: Paula McGinley.

7/29/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Feargal Sharkey talks about his journey from Undertone to executive.Josette Simon tells us about her career as an actor and current role as Cleopatra at the RSC Stratford.Cat Irving is Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons' Hall Museums which are part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.Hugh Thomson describes his journey across England accompanied by Jethro, his mule. (One Man and a Mule by Hugh Thomson is out now).Richard and Emily Gottfried have played their way around more than 740 crazy golf courses all over Britain.Poet John Cooper Clarke chooses his Inheritance Tracks: The Spaniard Who Blighted My Life by Bing Crosby & Al Jolson and What's So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding? by Nick Lowe.

7/22/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Martine McCutcheon, real life east ender, became famous as a TV Eastender in the 90s playing Tiffany, on off love interest for hi-maintenance Grant Mitchell, until she was squished by Frank Butcher outside the Queen Vic on Christmas Eve. She reinvented herself as a pop star - having a Perfect Moment in 1999 with the chart topping song of that name - and then another perfect moment co-starring with Hugh Grant in the Richard Curtis romcom, Love Actually. Off screen life, however, was complicated and after an award winning but stormy run in My Fair Lady in the West End, things went Pete Tong. Illness, bankruptcy, time to regroup - but now, fighting fit, she's back with a new album. When Benjamin Mee's dad died, he persuaded his mum to buy a zoo so that the whole family could live together. Of course it wasn't as easy as that - there were plenty of challenges along the way. But his story was made into a film starring Matt Damon in 2013.With the thank you slot, when we offer you the opportunity to thank someone for a good deed done by left unthanked, we're especially delighted on the rare occasion when a thanker is reunited with a thankee. But, people of Britain, today we reunite two of them live in the studio. Rabia Dignam and Sir Harold Walker, who met in a crowded and extremely tense Baghdad airport during the Iraqi Invasion of 1990. There's not much Gabe Cook doesn't know about cider. He's made cider for big name companies and small breweries. He's done the PR for the UK cider industry. And now he is his own man - a ciderologist and Britain's first 'pommelier'.The adorable and thoroughly cherished Roy Hudd was on Saturday Live a while ago with tales of his six decades in showbiz. He started as a redcoat, has appeared in everything from panto to Broadchurch, presented the News Huddlines here on Radio Four for a quarter of a century, and is today a custodian of anecdotes to the platinum standard of Ned Sherrin. Heritage on legs, people, and we thought we'd be unforgivably remiss if we didn't get him to surrender his Inheritance Tracks. Cally Beaton has done alright. She worked her way up to senior Vice President at the media company Viacom International. Then inexplicably at the age of 45 she decided to get into stand-up comedy. Her show Super Cally Fragile Lipstick will be in Edinburgh from August 5thAnd as you know we always want to hear from you - the listener. This week's Call Out is asking 'what unusual job do you do and how did you get into it'? In fact do you have such an unusual job most people wouldn't even know it exists? We have heard of people who are professional mourners. One person even told us they had a job as a professional 'cuddler'. We want to hear from you. Get in touch and don't forget to leave a number in case JP Devlin wants to call you backEMAIL: [emailprotected]TEXT: 84844TWEET: #bbcsaturdaylivePresenters: Aasmah Mir & the Rev. Richard ColesProducer: Maire Devine.

7/15/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Alexei Sayle talks about his Imaginary Sandwich Shop and forthcoming appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.Martine Wright lost both her legs in the 7/7 London bombings and went on to represent Great Britain in the London Paralympics in 2012. Unbroken by Martine Wright is out on the 13th July.Cyrus Todiwala is a chef and restaurateur who has followed the spice route from Bombay to London. Mr Todiwala's Spice Box is out now.Barn the Spoon is an artisan spoon carver, teacher, author and co-founder of Spoonfest. Spon: A Guide to Spoon Carving and the New Wood Culture by Barn the Spoon is out now.JP meets electronic dance music duo Orbital.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of Alan Partridge. Alan chooses Who Put The Bomp by Barry Mann and the theme from Grandstand by Keith Mansfield. A-ha!

7/8/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 17 seconds

Judy Murray talks about her family and their tennis story - and her subsequent projects from dancing the Viennese Waltz at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, to heading the women's tennis coaching initiative She Rallies.Jamie Chadwick has just become the youngest British female racing driver to sign for a Formula 1 feeder series team. She explains how she got into the sport and became the first female and youngest racing driver to win a British GT championship. Wolfgang Puck has catered to the Oscars for 23 consecutive years. With the 35th anniversary of his flagship restaurant Spago this year, he recalls his culinary career.JP Devlin meets James Shepherd-Barron, the son of the inventor of the ATM, which celebrates it's 50th anniversary this week.The prize-winning author Adam Nicolson describes his childhood at Sissinghurst and how his visits to the Hebridean Islands sparked his fascination with seabirds.And the actress and singer Ute Lemper shares her Inheritance Tracks: Where Have All The Flowers Gone, performed by Marlene Dietrich, and The Rose performed by Bette Midler.Knowing the Score: My Family and Our Tennis Story is out now.Wolfgang Puck is hosting Spago pop-up at CUT at 45 Park Lane until 1st July. The Seabird's Cry, The Lives and Loves of Puffins, Gannets and Other Ocean Voyagers, is out now.Ute Lemper will be performing the album 9 Secrets at the Cadogan Hall on 15th September; and will also be touring her 'Last Tango in Berlin - The Best of Ute'.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

7/1/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 27 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles chat with cricket commentator Henry "Blowers" Blofeld, Keane singer Tom Chaplin on his solo career, comedian Kiri Pritchard-Mclean & British Antarctic winter base commander Jess Walkup. We also hear interior designer Nicky Haslam's inheritance tracks and from the World Egg Throwing Championships in Lincolnshire.Producer: Paul WatersPresenters: Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles.

7/1/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds

A Canal Themed Programme with the Rev. Richard Coles on location from Foxton Locks in Leicestershire for the festival. He is joined by the Canal Laureate, Luke Kennard; Lynne Berry of the Canal and River Trust and volunteer and canal enthusiast, Derek Harris, performs from his one man show. Aasmah Mir presents in London where her guests include: the playwright Lee Hall, who recounts his canal adventure and reveals the growing collection that is over-running his basem*nt; and the cookery writer and former winner of Masterchef, Thomasina Miers, who gives her top tips for cooking on canal boats and discusses her passion chillies and street food. JP visits Braunston Marina in Northamptonshire to meet Pete and Karen Flockhart, to hear how they first met on a narrowboat, and now make fenders and other ropework in their workshop overlooking the junction of the Grand Union and Oxford canals. Leicester born singer Englebert Humperdinck shares his Inheritance Tracks, with a rather fitting tribute to his dad for Father's Day this weekend.The Foxton Locks Festival at Foxton in Leicestershire -17 - 18 June 2017 - 10.00am - 5.00pm.Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is at The Duke of York's Theatre in London.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

6/17/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

The Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the wine writer and broadcaster Oz Clarke; TV presenter and author of "The Grief Survival Guide" Jeff Brazier; former England cricketer and Director of Surrey Women's Cricket Ebony Rainsford-Brent and mathematician Dr Hannah Fry. Plus Bron Campbell and Holly Ford who opened a cake shop in a phone box. And garden designer Dan Pearson shares his Inheritance Tracks.Oz and Armonico Drink to Music at Harrogate Festival (1 July), Buxton Festival (10 July) and Lichfield Festival (11 July). The Grief Survival Guide: How to Navigate Loss and All That Comes With It by Jeff Brazier is out now.Dr Hannah Fry and Ant Anstead present 'Britain's Greatest Invention' on BBC Two, 15 June.Producer: Tim Allen.Editor: Eleanor Garland.

6/10/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Presenter and barrister Robert 'Judge' Rinder; actor Daragh O'Malley; Clare Brant, professor of 18th century literature and culture and ship's captain Amelia Dalton join Aasmah Mir and the Revd Richard Coles.Robert 'Judge' Rinder is a criminal law barrister and television court judge who is best known for his role on the reality courtroom series Judge Rinder - the British version of the American show Judge Judy. He came to widespread attention performing on Strictly come Dancing in 2016. He presents Judge Rinder's Crime Stories on ITV.Daragh O'Malley is an actor who stars in Maxim Gorky's the Last Ones at the Jermyn Street Theatre. He is best known for his role as Patrick Harper opposite Sean Bean in the television series Sharpe from 1992 to 2008. His film and television roles range from Withnail and I to The Long Good Friday and Waking The Dead to Silent Witness while his theatre work includes Dancing at Lughnasa and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The Last Ones is at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London.Clare Brant is professor of 18th century literature and culture at King's College London. She has curated Dear Diary: A Celebration of Diaries and their Digital Descendants. The exhibition explores what motivates diarists and charts the ways in which paper diaries have been joined by phones and tablets as our means of keeping track of daily life. Dear Diary is at King's College London in Somerset House.After the death of her son, Amelia Dalton took a step that would change her life forever. She transformed a neglected Arctic fishing boat into a chic expedition ship to run cruises to the Western Isles. Along the way, she had to navigate bloody-minded fisherman, red tape, bank loans and shareholders - and gained the respect of the tough, hard-working island community. She's written about her adventure in her book, Mistress and Commander, published by Sandstone Press.Also in the programme, writer Anthony Horowitz shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Paula McGinley.

6/3/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Actor Adrian Lester, star of Sky drama Riviera; TV presenter and author of The Reassembler, James May; record breaking hula hooper and author of The Girl Guide, Marawa Ibrahim; plus co*cktail gardener Lottie Muir from the Midnight Apothecary.

6/2/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein are joined by the boxer and Olympic gold champion Nicola Adams, who talks about her boxing career and work as an extra in programmes including Coronation Street. Actor Les Dennis, spent three years on the Street playing burglar-turned-romeo, Michael Rodwell. He explains why he shaved his head for his latest role as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family. Survival expert, Megan Hine, is the woman who helps keep Bear Grylls safe. She describes how she contracted Lyme disease, was chased through the jungle by an armed drug gang and had to abseil past bears. Rochdale born singer and call centre worker, Jack Randle, is the first Briton to be selected to enter the 'Sinatra Idol Contest' held in Hoboken, New Jersey. He reveals what he'll be singing. Martin Kemp shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses Long Distance Love performed by Little Feat and Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones.Believe - Boxing, Olympics and my life outside the ring, by Nicola Adams, is out now.The Addams Family is currently on a tour of the UK and Ireland.Jack Randle takes part in the Sinatra Idol Contest in Hoboken on 15 June.Mind of a Survivor, What the Wild Has Taught Me About Survival and Success, by Megan Hine.

5/20/2017 • 1 hour, 59 minutes, 31 seconds

Sharleen Spiteri was just 21 when she found herself and her band Texas at number 8 in the charts with I Don't Want A Lover. Almost 30 years later, she's still writing and recording - back with Texas since 2013 after a spell as a solo artist. Her new album Jump on Board is out now. Texas will play the Isle Of Wight Festival on Saturday 10th June and the UK tour kicks off on 11th September in Cardiff. So many 50th anniversaries this year, and not least among them the Summer of Love, when nearly 100,000 long haired layabouts (quote) travelled to San Francisco to change the world. Reviews are mixed, concerning their success, among them Nick Campion's. He's an academic specialising in the cultural history of astronomy and astrology (indeed he used to do the horoscopes in a daily paper) - and his book The New Age in the Modern West looks back to that fabled time. Well, she might not have made it quite to San Francisco, but Esta Charkham did it make it to Holborn and joined the cast of Zigger Zagger, the National Youth Theatre's landmark play about football hooliganism. It lit up theatre land in the summer of 1967. Now Esta wants to reunite the original cast. So far she has traced 43 of the original 87 members. If you are one or know someone who was a cast member email us at [emailprotected] with Zigger Zagger in the subject lineYou might think that the Reverend Kate Bottley spends her life watching TV for Channel 4's Gogglebox but she's too busy for that. A priest in North Nottinghamshire, a regular presenter on Songs of Praise, wife, mum of two, dog owner and flash mob conductor. She talks about growing up in Sheffield, the priesthood and being a bit of a geek.Jason Blyth has a fantastic connection to Eurovision. He's a music teacher from Perth who loves Eurovision so much that he wrote a song for it. He's in our Dundee studioThis week the Inheritance Tracks comes from Jazzie B. DJ and producer and one of the founding members of the Grammy-winning musical collective Soul II Soul. In the summer of 1989 their hits 'Keep on Movin' and 'Back to Life' seemed to be blasting out from every passing car. The band's mix of reggae, soul, dub and hip hop emerged from the world of sound systems and their maxim "A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a lovin' race" got us all into the groove... Soul to Soul are on Tour nowNext Tuesday as part of the Summer of Love Revisited at the Albert Hall, Jazzie B will be in discussion about the black music counterculture of the 1960s and 70s. It's Eurovision tonight so we want to hear from you. Some people love it, others less so. What are your memories of watching Eurovision? Have you ever been? Do you have an interesting connection? Get in touch and don't forget to leave a number in case JP Devlin wants to call you EMAIL: [emailprotected]: 84844TWEET: #bbcsaturdaylivePresenters: Aasmah Mir & the Rev. Richard ColesProducer: Maire Devine.

5/13/2017 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 7 seconds

Actor Dame Penelope Keith; interior designer Nicky Haslam; writer Alex Wheatle and conservationist Dr Amy Dickman join Aasmah Mir and the Revd Richard Coles.Dame Penelope Keith, best known for her television roles in the Good Life and To The Manor Born, celebrates village life in the Channel 4 series Hidden Villages and is currently on a quest to find Britain's Village of the Year.Interior designer and socialite Nicky Haslam is performing his cabaret show - featuring songs by Cole Porter, Kurt Weill and Irving Berlin - at the Pheasantry in London in May and June. His company has designed homes for Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Charles Saatchi and Rupert Everett among others. Alex Wheatle is a writer of young adult fiction who won the Guardian's children's fiction prize in 2016. His latest book, Straight Outta Crongton, is the third instalment of his Crongton series of novels. Dr Amy Dickman is a conservation biologist with a particular interest in the maintenance of threatened wildlife populations on human-dominated land and how to resolve human-wildlife conflict. She is director of Ruaha Carnivore Project (RCP), a community-based lion conservation initiative in Tanzania. Actor Dennis Quaid reveals his Inheritance Tracks and talks about his love of music and performing with his band, the Sharks. He stars in A Dog's Purpose which is on general release.The Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans have been playing together for 20 years, performing at community parades and funerals. The band's founder and sousaphone player Bennie Pete discusses the band's early years and celebrates their music and sense of unity which has held them together during the good times and the bad. The band are touring the UK. Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

5/6/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 31 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the singer/songwriter Leo Sayer. Still touring 40 years after he reinvented the Pierrot for Top of the Pops, he discusses his popularity in south East Asia, playing the harmonica, and singing karaoke with businessmen. The former rugby player Martin Bayfield talks about on being the other side of the camera, and how his 6'10" frame led to the role of Hagrid's body double. Vlogger Lucy Earl's tips on grammar and pronunciation have been viewed by 12 million people worldwide. She reveals the most common mistakes.And adventurer Charley Boorman describes his recovery after a major motorbike accident. Esther Rantzen shares her Inheritance Tracks: Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage Mrs Worthington by Noel Coward; and With a Little Help From My Friends performed by Wet Wet Wet.Leo Sayer is about to embark on a 25 date tour of the UK throughout May and June. English with Lucy is on YoutubeLong Way Back by Charley Boorman is out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

4/29/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

Roy Hudd is a national treasure. He's been entertaining, acting and generally having fun on TV, the stage and wireless for many decades. Next month he'll be 81 years old and he's still working. Imelda May grew up in the Liberties, once the toughest slum in Dublin, where she learned the art of song and acquired a noble quiff, which made her the Rockabilly queen of the Dublin scene. Her breakthrough came on Jools Holland's 'Later' (she also supported his band on tour) and was snapped up by the likes of Bono and The Chieftains, who know a proper voice when they hear one. The quiff is no more, to mark a change of emphasis and tone, I guess, and her new album, Life Love Flesh Blood is produced by T Bone Burnett, does what it says on the tin. .New Zealander Stuart Barnes started working as a shepherd when he was just 11. He now spends his time travelling and running a Dog and Duck Show. He talks about his lifelong love of animals, developing his knowledge of animal behaviour and ways to communicate with dogsHard to get a page from the flimsiest of manifestos between politics and comedy these days, some have said, so it must be a fertile opportunity for Ayesha Hazaroka, who was a special adviser to Labour politicians both in government before reinventing herself as a commentator and a comedian, and a grave disappointment to her mother who still really really wants her to be a doctor. Her new show State of the Nation was obliged to undergo a hurried rewrite after elevenses last Tuesday, when the Prime Minister surprised us all by calling a general election.This weeks Inheritance Tracks comes from humanitarian and ex-hostage Terry Waite And much much more We want to hear from you so EMAIL: [emailprotected] TEXT: 84844TWEET: #bbcsaturdaylive (LEAVE A PHONE NUMBER)The programme is presented by Kate Silverton & the Rev. Richard Colesand the producer is Maire Devine.

4/22/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

Comedian Milton Jones; musician Sam Sweeney; opera impresario Michael Volpe and curator Catherine Howell join Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton.Milton Jones is a stand-up comedian, known by many as the king of the one-liners. A regular panellist on BBC Two's Mock the Week, he has a penchant for wild hair and colourful shirts and a gentle, self-deprecating wit. Later this year he embarks on a new tour, Milton Jones is Out There, taking a philosophical look at his life so far with what he calls his 'manifesto of nonsense'. Milton Jones is Out There 2017 tour begins in September at the Richmond Theatre.Michael Volpe is the general director and co-founder of Opera Holland Park. Brought up by a single mother on a London council estate, he attended the progressive Woolverstone Hall School in Suffolk which took inner city London boys, often from broken families, and gave them the opportunity to explore art and culture at an early age. Passionate about making opera accessible to everyone, Michael has directed a short film, From Footy to Verdi, in which he introduces his three sceptical friends and fellow Chelsea supporters to the joys of opera. Opera Holland Park's new season opens on June 1st. Six years ago Sam Sweeney, fiddle player with Bellowhead, bought a violin in Oxford. It had all the appearance of a new instrument but the label inside gave the date 1915 and the name Richard S Howard. Sam discovered the violin had been made - but never finished - by a luthier and some-time music hall performer from Leeds called Richard Spencer Howard who died in battle during the First World War. The violin languished unfinished for many years until it was completed in 2007 and placed in the window of an Oxford music shop where it was spotted by Sam. Sam tells the extraordinary story of his fiddle in his show Made in the Great War which tours in June.Catherine Howell is collections manager at the V & A Museum of Childhood. She curated the exhibition, Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered which traces the history and enduring appeal of board games. From the Senet board of Ancient Egypt to the mobile phone app, Words with Friends, game playing has remained a constant and important part of people's lives, a friendly way to compete and a necessary escape from reality. Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered is at the V & A Museum of Childhood until April 23rd.Producer: Paula McGinleyEditor: Anne Peaco*ck.

4/15/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 28 seconds

The actor and TV personality Christopher Biggins joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Best known for his performances as Lukewarm in the BBC series of Porridge, Emperor Nero in I Claudius, and as Rev. Ossie Whitworth the wicked vicar in Poldark. He's one of the Great Dames of British Pantomime and was crowned 'King of the Jungle'. He talks about his career and latest work on the comedy album Wit & Whimsy.Horologist, Steven Fletcher, is the third generation of clockmakers in his family. He's worked on many important timepieces - some dating back to the 17th century, and the clocks at Chequers. Retired rugby flanker Maggie Alphonsi took 74 caps for England and 7 Six Nations titles during her international career. She discusses her career, her role in commentating and inspiring the next generation.JP Devlin meets Saturday Live listener Anne Watson. She tells the story of losing her sight, learning to ice stake and finding love.The comedian Russell Kane chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Can't Get Enough of Your Love by Barry White and The Waves by Einaudi.Dixe Wills is an author, travel writer and regular winter camper. He describes how he travels around by train and bike in his quest to discover Britain's tiniest curiosities - from stations to islands, churches and tiny campsites.The comedy album Wit & Whimsy is out now. A live show featuring performances of songs from the album is being staged at The Hippodrome in London's West End on Sunday 30 April, 2017.Tiny Campsites by Dixe Wills is out now.Russell Kane is on tour with his show 'Right Man, Wrong Age'.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Anne Peaco*ck.

4/8/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Irish singing superstar Daniel O'Donnell made history in 2016 by becoming the first recording artist in the history of the UK album chart to have at least one new album every year since 1988 - an unprecedented 29-year run - surpassing the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and U2. He talks about growing up in Donegal and how he got into the music business.Samantha Renke is an actor with a disability and can be seen in the latest Maltesers advertisem*nt. Sam has a genetic condition -osteogenesis imperfecta -that causes bones to break easily. It affects type I collagen in the body and is more commonly called brittle bone disease. Owing to multiple fractures, people with the condition usually have stunted growth. Sam won 'Best Lead Actress' in Little Devil, a multiple award-winning British indie film at the 2014 Los Angeles Diversity Film. Sam also works to raise disability awareness as she is currently campaigning with Channel 4, as well as the charity SCOPE.Simon Cooper is fly fisherman and conservationist. He's just published a book called the Otter's Tale. He's also involved in preserving Britain's chalk streams. Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon is the Chatelaine of Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed. Her most recent book is At Home at Highclere - the stories behind some of the most famous dinner parties. Guests have included Disraeli, Prince of Wales, and Henry James. The Inheritance Tracks are provided by David Rodigan MBE - an English radio DJ who also performs as a disc jockey for his sound system. Presenters: Aasmah Mir & the Rev. Richard ColesProducer: Maire Devine.

4/1/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

The actress Jodie Prenger joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Best known for winning the role of Nancy in the West End production of Oliver! She is now receiving rave reviews for her performance as Shirley Valentine in the 30th anniversary UK tour.JP Devlin meets Jess Turtle, who recalls how her own family history and upbringing in Cardiff has inspired the Museum of Homelessness."The First Woman of Black British Comedy", Angie Le Mar, describes how she toured doing stand up while raising her children, rebelled against her strict religious upbringing, and explains how a chocolate Labrador helped her during a low point in her life. Dr. Scott Miller is an Australian vet who has worked with animals since the age of seven. Passionate about wildlife and animal conservation, he has dealt with everything from fitting a gold tooth on a sloth bear in India to performing emergency CPR on a chipmunk.Social architect Zac Monro, talks about how he has led a "not so secret" double life, being twice-crowned air guitar world champion. And Ian Hislop shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses: A Swingin' Safari performed by Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra and Life Could Not Better Be, by Danny Kaye. Shirley Valentine is currently on a UK tour.Full Circle, Turning Your Gift Around by Angie Le Mar, is out now.The Wipers Times runs at the Arts Theatre in London until 13 May.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

3/25/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds

Jimmy Osmond is only 53 - but has 50 years of showbiz under his belt. How does he do it?Maria MacLennan trained as jewellery designer but found her way, unexpectedly, into a very different (if related) field. She's now developed a career as a forensic jeweller, sent for to reunite owners with jewellery, but also, in the event of disasters like a plane crash, or a building collapse, to reunite owners with their identities when dental records or DNA may not be forthcoming. And to capture the stories that jewellery tells about owners, relationships, family histories. The choreographer was Dougie Squires, who in seven decades has worked with around ten thousand dancers, is best known for the Second Generation. Now Dougie's come out of retirement with seventy five of those dancers to celebrate Dame Vera Lynn's 100th Birthday. We sent JP Devlin, whose running man at Belfast's Sugar Sweet helped define the Northern Ireland of the early nineties, to meet Dougie during a break in the rehearsals.If you're like Aasmah and have finally acquired a garden, then you know that you should be planting stuff in it around now. But what if you're not sure where to start? Hollie Newton was a stressed-out agency worker who started planting things in a window box and making lots of mistakes. These days she knows what she's doing and has written a book for people like me who haven't a clue, containing useful jargon-free chapters like 'Things I Wouldn't Bloody Bother With' and 'Overplanting Compulsion Disorder'...Tony Prince the disc jockey began his working life as a real jockey, an apprentice with Willie Carson. But it was with spinning discs rather than racing nags that he made his name, on the pirate ship Caroline and then at Radio Luxembourg, before going to a glittering career in dance music. Back then he was already one of the most enterprising of DJs, touring Czechoslovakia in the Communist era, when deviating from the party line was dealt with ruthlessly. He met there a young railway worker called Jan Sestak, a secret pop fan and aspiring DJ, a risky business back. They have been friends for over forty years and they've written a book - "The Royal Ruler and The Railway DJ". The Inheritance Tracks Fearne Cotton - DJ, presenter, 20 years in showbiz - says it's time to slow down a bit and appreciate the simple things in life. This is someone who started in TV at the age of 15 after winning a competition to present The Disney Club. 20 years on, she has worked on Fame Academy, Top of the Pops, Children in Need, The BRIT Awards and of course Radio 1. But Fearne recently talked about her experience of depression and described how she used to put on a fake smile and go into "robot mode" to do her job. We asked her to chill out while she picked her inheritance tracks.Fearne's tracks were (Good Times Bad Times) Led Zeppelin & (Rocket Man) Elton John (Rocket Man)Editor: Eleanor Garland.

3/18/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 16 seconds

The actor Paul Nicholas talks about his recent visit to The Real Marigold Hotel and his early career in the first rock musical Hair. 'Punk potter' Keith Brymer Jones describes how he made his first item, a pottery owl, when he was 11 years old, but reveals that he actually started out as a ballet dancer. Saturday Live listener and retired nurse, Maggie Jones, has an obsession for photography and ... the ordinary. She can be seen snapping doors and alleyways, or checking for initials on bollards... Brenna Hassett is a bio-archaeologist who digs up bones for living, but she started her career running a record shop in California. Sooty and Sweep have graced our TV screens since the 1950s firstly with Harry Corbett and then with his son Matthew. They're now in the hands of Richard Cadell. Richard, Sooty and Sweep recently came into the Saturday Live studio to meet JP.And Corinne Bailey Rae shares her Inheritance Tracks - Me and Mrs Jones performed by Billy Paul, and There's More To Life Than This, by Bjork.The Real Marigold Hotel is on BBC One on Wednesday at 9pm. Earlier episodes are available on iplayer. "Built on Bones", by Brenna Hassett, is out now. Sooty and Sweep (and Soo) are on tour until June.The Great British Throw Down is on BBC Two on Thursdays at 8pm.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

3/11/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 52 seconds

Lee Mack star of the long running BBC sit com Not Going Out, former stable boy and keen darts players joins the Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. Life-long petrolhead Bron Burrell on why she is racing from London to Portugal in an 1970s Austin Maxi. Saturday Live listener Philippa O'Sullivan who is preparing to take part in the only round the world yacht race for amateurs. Former Commonwealth champion Matthew Syed gives a table tennis masterclass live in the studio. Burlesque performer Iestyn Edwards shares his experiences of entertaining British Army personnel in some of the least hospitable places on earth.Plus 1980 pop punk singer Toyah Wilcox with a brace of Inheritance Tracks. Lee Mack is in The Miser at The Garrick Theatre, London from 10th March The Greatest - The Quest for Sporting Perfection by Matthew Syed is published by John Murray My Tutu Went AWOL by Iestyn Edwards is published as an e-book Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland.

3/4/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Rory Bremner joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles, with his impressions of Trump and JP, among many others. He explains what he enjoys about the wordplay of translating operas and, as Scotland play today in the Six Nations, he recalls how his love of the game led to early impressions of sports commentators.As one fifth of The Saturdays Una Healy had success with 13 top ten hits. The singer/songwriter has now returned to the country/folk music roots of her Irish childhood.Inspired by the Thank You slot Saturday Live listener Corinna Dawson contacted the programme to tell us about her idea for the Living Eulogy Box.JP Devlin meets Ray Allen, creator of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, to find out how he came up with the comedy character Frank Spencer.Consumer historian Robert Opie is arguably the King of Collectors with half a million items. He is now celebrating 250 years of the jigsaw puzzle, with an exhibition.Film director Gurinder Chadha shares her Inheritance Tracks: O Janewalo Jayo Na from the 1957 film Mother India, performed by Lata Mangeshkar; and Something Inside So Strong by Labi Siffre.RORY BREMNER: PARTLY POLITICAL UK Tour 2017 - runs until June 2017Una Healy's new single Stay My Love, featuring Sam Palladio from her solo album The Waiting Game is out now.Corinna Dawson's website is the Living Eulogy Box.Gurinder Chadha's film Viceroy's House is in cinemas from 3 March.The Jigsaw Exhibition, 250 Years of Jigsaws - is at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising and runs until the end of April.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

2/25/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Marti Pellow first hit the charts with Wet Wet Wet's Wishing I was Lucky in 1987. He's gone on to have a successful musical theatre career. With the forthcoming release of his solo album Mysterious, Marti joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir and explains why soul and jazz have always inspired him.When Kerri Cameron lost her job working with horses- she unexpectedly found a new career as a motorcycle stuntwoman. She talks about her unexpected career change.Anna Bailey speaks to Saturday Live listener Annabel Dunstan, who got in contact, via the Royal Academy of Dance, to talk about how ballet has bought her closer to her mother who has dementia. Max Décharné talks about why he's fascinated by slang, and how many contemporary words are a lot older than you'd expect. Hypnotist and author Paul McKenna shares his Inheritance Tracks. Paul has chosen Dancing Queen by Abba and Us and Them by Pink Floyd.Comedian, actor and lover of magic Nick Mohammed explains how he's learnt to pick locks like an escapologist for his latest show Mr Swallow - Houdini. Marti Pellow's single Sound of My Breaking Heart is out now and his album Mysterious is released on the 10th March.Max Décharné's Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang is out now.Paul McKenna's latest book Get Control of Sugar is out now.The run of Mr Swallow - Houdini staring Nick Mohammed ends at the Soho Theatre in London on the 18th February. His children's book The Young Magicians and the Thieves' Almanac is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Anne Peaco*ck.

2/18/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Una Stubbs discusses her love of painting and her role playing Sherlock's landlady Mrs HudsonDinosaur expert and primatologist Ben Garrod on how his love of nature started.Bill Griffin founder of the Crowdwish website explains how he helps people fulfil their wishes and tries to set them on the path to happiness Listener and folk singer Ian W. Brown on the perils of sharing your name with someone famous. Plus singer Marti Webb shares her Inheritance TracksProducer: Steven Williams Editor: Anne Peaco*ck.

2/11/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Amanda Redman, best known for her role as DSI Sandra Pullman in BBC1's New Tricks, joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to discuss filming in Sri Lanka for a new TV medical drama, her early years in hospital following a scalding accident and why she set up The Artists' Theatre School.Andrew Martin has had a passion for night trains since childhood. He talks about his recent experiences recreating journeys across Europe.JP meets up with Saturday Live listeners who are related to cast members from Brief Encounter, to reunite them with Cyril Raymond's diaries. Dave Morris shares his passion for Shepherds' Huts and describes how he restored one that was featured in Far From the Madding Crowd.The gardener and designer, Joe Swift, explains how he came to gardening via a post punk band and a spell on a kibbutz, what it takes to win gold at the Chelsea Flower Show and the healing power of horticulture.Bill Turnbull chooses his Inheritance Tracks: 'Three Little Maids' from the Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan and 'Che Gelida Manina' sung by Vittorio Grigolo, from Puccini's La Boheme.The Good Karma Hospital is on ITV on Sunday night at 9pm.Night Trains - The Rise and Fall of The Sleeper by Andrew Martin is published on 9th February.Shepherd's Huts and Living Vans, by Dave Morris, is published by Amberley Publishing.Joe Swift is on A Man About a Garden Tour 2017.The album 'Bill Turnbull's Relaxing Classics' is out now.

2/4/2017 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Martin Kemp didn't realise when he was shifting kit for big brother Gary's band Spandau Ballet, that his future lay not back stage but ON stage. Invited to play bass in the band which conquered the world, with wedges and pantaloons and bandanas, he met and married backing singer Shirley from Wham, morphed into an actor in the Krays and in Hollywood, did a decade playing everyone's favourite wicked co*ckney Steve Owen on EastEnders and is now able to pick and choose pretty much how to delight us, notwithstanding the life limiting effects of a brain tumour at the end of the nineties. Today Amanda Owen is a shepherdess on a hill farm in the Yorkshire Dales - in charge of 1,000 sheep, 9 children, 1 husband, a Sunday Mirror column and a Twitter account. But it was a chance encounter that led to her crazy, remote life.Dr Charles Eugster. He is not only as fit as a fiddle, a body-builder, and a multi-podiuming champ in rowing and athletics, he also won his last British championship at long jump last year AT THE AGE OF NINETY SEVEN.So you've got a nice career, it's going well and then you go and do something completely different... sounds familiar? Well Paul Sinha has done it twice. First he was a nice respectable doctor but decided to become a comedian. Then he decided to become a quiz player on ITV's daily show The Chase.Michaela Strachan, who was the smelling salts in Wide Awake Club, and the her in Hit Man and Her, may now be found in combats in a sweaty tent deep in a muddy field... not raving these days but keeping very still and quite for Naturewatch on BBC2. She's made that difficult transition from children's to young adults' to grown up's television presenter and has learnt a trick or two: so we crept up on her hide, as hedgehogs and water voles and weasels scattered into the bushes, and forced her to hand over her Inheritance Tracks. and much more.........Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard ColesProducer: Maire Devine.

1/28/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Mark Watson is an award winning comedian who has written six novels. He explains why in spite of his success, his dream job is still to be a football commentator. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes make up The Shires, a British Country band. They discuss playing the Grand Ole Opry and how they both started out in choirs - one of them regularly singing for the Queen at Windsor Castle. Toby Capwell has loved knights and shining armour since childhood. He is an experienced jouster, curator of Arms and Armour at The Wallace Collection and the man who escorted the remains of Richard III to Leicester Cathedral.Parkour expert Charlotte Blake not only enjoys running, jumping and climbing her way across the urban landscape but also teaches the discipline to people with mental health problems. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of Tom Fletcher author and singer from McFly. Mark's tour 'I'm Not Here' finishes at the Old Vic on Feb 11th.Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450 by Tobias Capwell is published by Thomas Del Mar Ltd.The Shires single Daddy's Little Girl is on the album My Universe. Both are out now on Decca.

1/21/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Actor and presenter Martin Clunes, best known for his roles in Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin, joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to discuss discovering the islands of Australia, his love of animals and life on his farm.Gemma Todd is a mobile librarian who has just published her first novel, as GX Todd. She talks about getting her HGV licence and her love of Lego.JP Devlin meets listener Jean Rawson, 93, who describes how her family dog comforted her in a time of great need. Della O'Sullivan runs the Dulwich Wing Tsun Academy. She explains how she got into Chinese martial arts.Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Blackbird by The Beatles and Michael Jackson's Black or White.DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles talks about his early music and sporting ambitions, love of cooking and passion for motorbikes. Martin Clunes: Islands of Australia continues on ITV at 8pm on Tuesday.Defender by GX Todd is out now.Nadiya Hussain's debut novel The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters is out now.Proper Healthy Food book by Nick Knowles is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Eleanor Garland.

1/14/2017 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 7 seconds

Former Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, joins Richard and Aasmah to discuss his surprise success on Strictly Come Dancing, passion for football, how he coped in public life with interiorised stammering and his life post politics "Gangnam style".27 year old magician Troy has performed both street magic and for high profile audiences from Harry Styles to HRH Prince Harry. He describes how he overcame a fear of heights to perform tricks on a highwire!JP meets Dr. Evadne Hinge (George Logan) - the surviving member of Hinge & Bracket, the comedy partnership that entertained the public in the guise of two elderly eccentric spinsters. Jane Asher is an 85 year old grandmother of 11, and the Queen of masters swimming. She recalls how she swam competitively in her twenties, but didn't pursue racing until later in life when she lost her husband, and has gone on to win in excess of 100 world records.Comedian Josie Long explains why she likes performing stand-up in people's living rooms, enjoys cold water swimming and her passion for 1930s film noir voices and playing Boggle.Tom Chaplin, singer/songwriter and lead singer with the band Keane, shares his Inheritance Tracks: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel and Charmed Life by The Divine Comedy.Strictly Come Dancing Live is on tour around the country from 20 January.Troy: The Highwire is available to watch on Channel4.com Josie Long is on tour during February and March with her new show Something Better.Tom Chaplin will be touring in May and his album The Wave is out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Eleanor Garland.

1/7/2017 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds

Comedian Lucy Porter joins Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton to discuss why she originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of Kate Adie, the pleasures and perils of setting up a Mums and Babies comedy club and the influential women in the early days of Hollywood slapstick films. Motivational writer and speaker Chris Barez-Brown will teach us how to switch off our inner auto pilots and become more creative in the New Year. Pyrotechnician Jon Culverhouse explains the secrets behind putting on an award-winning firework display.And Francesca Brown, who started out playing for Manchester City girls' team, but has since founded an all girls football academy, Goals4Girls. Plus Alan Carr shares his Inheritance Tracks and 13 year old Joey Alexander reveals the secret to becoming a world famous virtuoso pianist. Lucy Porter is taking part in the Bristol Slapstick Comedy festival from 18-22 Jan 2017.Wake Up! By Chris Barez-Brown is out now. Alanatomy, by Alan Carr is out now.Producer: Steven WilliamsEditor: Louise Corley.

12/31/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Arabella Weir, star of Two Doors Down, talks to Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein about what neighbours mean to her, festive celebrations and how she got into comedy.Mark Forsyth explains why he decided to explore the stories behind Christmas traditions- including why we have decorated trees in our house and the real Good King Wenceslas.Writer and musician Rhodri Marsden shared a picture of where he'd be staying when he went home for Christmas and found he wasn't alone in experiencing unusual festive sleeping arrangements. Bruno Tonioli talks to JP Devlin about his festive plans, dealing with tragedy, and what dancing means to him.Comedian Bill Bailey shares his Inheritance Tracks: Magic Moments by Perry Como and Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads.Joe Wicks, known as The Body Coach, has gone from being a personal trainer to a best-selling author and fitness entrepreneur. He talks about what success means to him, becoming an optimist, and offers his festive health tips.Mark Forsyth's A Christmas Cornucopia is out now.Bruno Tonioli's An Italian Romance album is out now.Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds is out now.Joe Wicks The Body Coach Workout DVD is out on Boxing Day.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/24/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Raymond Blanc grew up in a self sufficient household in France, and after a few false starts in other professions, became a self taught Michelin star winning chef, and restaurant entrepreneur. Kassia St Clair loves colour. After studying historical dress she wanted to understand the colours referred to. Her interest led to a column in Elle Decoration and finally a book. She joins us to talk about The Secret Lives of Colour.Saturday Live listener Mark Sutton Vane was obsessed with torches as a child. He later developed this into a career in lighting, and his dream came true when he lit the Olympic Park in Stratford in 2012.Kat Francois is a performance poet and playwright who latest work was inspired by finding out on a trip to her parents homeland of Grenada that she had a relative who fought in WWI. She'll join us to talk of Poetry Slams and inspiring stories.JP Devlin meets comedy stalwart Ricky Gervais.We'll have your thank yous and the Inheritance Tracks of Maureen Lipman. She chooses When you wish upon a star performed by Barbara Cook and Frank Mills from the musical Hair.Raymond Blanc's book is Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, The story of a modern classicThe Secret Lives of Colour is by Kassia St Clair The next Word4Word run by Kat Francois, will be on 18th December, at 7pm at Theatre Royal Stratford and her play Raising Lazarus will tour in 2017.Ricky Gervais' DVD is David Brent: Life On The Road Maureen Lipman is in Sleeping Beauty at Richmond theatre.

12/17/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 29 seconds

Crime writer Anthony Horowitz joins Richard and Aasmah in the studio to discuss his love of Tin Tin, Victorian fairgrounds and why villages are so well suited to murder mysteries. After his return from the International Space Station Major Tim Peake reflects on what home really means to him and and tells us why it's always good to wiggle your toes on a spacewalk.Comedian Dave Gorman who has flown around the world in the pursuit of comedy, reveals just what led him to get an unusual tattoo on his upper arm. Rhinal Patel explains why she put her trust in the kindness of strangers to help her travel from Hong Kong to her home in Wales for free. And we hear from Britain's biggest roller coaster enthusiast who has ridden on over 1700 rides. Italian chef Antonio Carluccio shares his Inheritance Tracks. He picks Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights and Yesterday by the Beatles. And we hear from the volunteers opening the mail for the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal at St Martin's in the Fields.Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Karen Dalziel.

12/10/2016 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 11 seconds

Star of Birds of a Feather and Strictly Come Dancing, Lesley Joseph, joins Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles live from the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House to talk about pantomime and her role as The Wicked Queen.Trevor Jones reveals the secrets of The Poison Garden at Alnwick.Paul Harris has been performing in pantomimes for more than 50 years. He recalls how he learnt the gags on the job, and explains what makes a good Dame. The Saturday Live pantomime, written by Alan McHugh, and performed by our listeners, with surprise cameo appearances from Radio 4 presenters.Cast members from Bollywood Jack perform live in the Radio Theatre. And real life Fairy Godmother, Jaime Thurston, describes how she makes wishes come true.Phil Collins shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen All My Loving by The Beatles and The Times They Are A Changin' by Bob Dylan. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth from 16 December 2016 - 14 January 2017.Bollywood Jack runs at the Tara Theatre in south west London from 7 December 2016 - 7 January 2017.Not Dead Yet by Phil Collins, is out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/3/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Aled Jones will forever be associated with the song he made a hit - Walking in the Air. Now he's released a seasonal CD where he sings in harmony with his 14 year old self. He'll join Richard and Aasmah in the studio.Tez Ilyas left the civil service for comedy after doing a Saturday course in stand up. He's since appeared in eight competition finals, had a show in Edinburgh and wrote and performed the Tez Talks series about how to be a Muslim on BBC Radio 4. A chance conversation with a friend at university has taken Kate Munro all around the world making snow sculptures. Every year, Kate spends 3 days and 3 nights in sub-zero temperatures, carving a 3 metre block of snow into a beautiful sculpture.Fred Sirieix is Maître d' on First Dates, the Bafta award winning hit Channel 4 dating show, but he's also general manager of a top Michelin starred restaurant, and runs a service training company which helps prisoners train to work in restaurants. JP meets John Richards who went on a mission to play every Cathedral organ in Britain.Alan Davies gives us his Inheritance Tracks, he chooses Topol singing If I were a rich man, and Billy Bragg's St. Swithin's Day and we have your Thank yous.Aled's new album is called One Voice at ChristmasTez Ilyas will be touring in the New YearFirst Dates, the art of love by Fred Sirieix is out nowAlan Davies' DVD Little Victories is released on 28th NovemberProducer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

11/26/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Kate Silverton and the Rev Richard Coles talk to Adrian Chiles about football and a particular match that pitted black players against white players. Phoebe Wainman is the current British Stock Car Champion. She discusses the thrills and dangers of her sport and what it's like to come from a Stock Car racing dynasty. Mark Grist gave up teaching English when his other career as a rapper took off. He explains how a chance encounter at a poetry performance evening ended up with him taking part in battle rapping competitions around the globe. Photographer Richard Weston reveals why taking a picture of his son Sam had a tremendous effect on both their lives.And Everton superfan Dr David France explains how he amassed the biggest collection of Everton memorabilia in the world.Plus guitarist from the Smiths, The The and Electronic Johnny Marr shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Steven WilliamsEditor: Beverley Purcel.

11/19/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds

British Bushcraft, survival expert and photographer Ray Mears talks to Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about what draws him to the outdoors.Charlie McDonnell was the first Video Blogger in the UK to reach one million YouTube subscribers. He explains why he's trying to make science fun.Saturday Live listener Paula Reid explains why she quit her job to become an Adventurer.Reporter JP Devlin meets Zucchero, an Italian singer-songwriter most famous in the UK for the duet "Senza Una Donna (Without a Woman)" with Paul Young.Presenter Matt Baker is currently taking part in the One Show Rickshaw Challenge in aid of BBC Children in Need. He shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by the Sherman brothersCellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason is the winner of BBC Young Musician 2016. He performs live and discusses his musical ambitions, A-Levels and playing football.Out on the Land by Ray Mears and Lars Fält is out now.Fun Science by Charlie McDonnell is out now.Zucchero's new album Black Cat is out now.The BBC 4 documentary Young, Gifted and Classical: The Making of a Maestro, featuring Sheku Kanneh-Mason and his family, will be broadcast 20th November at 8pm.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

11/12/2016 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 25 seconds

Clare Balding and Sir David Tang join Aasmah and RichardClare Balding was a horse mad girl who became a leading amateur flat jockey in her teens. She found success as a racing correspondent and since then has presented the Olympics 6 times, as well as numerous other chat shows, documentaries, and programmes about biking, walking. Now she's mined her own experience, and written a children's book about a horse mad girl. Giles Chapman is a lover of Classic Cars and was Editor of Classic & Sports Car magazine. Recently the Reliant Robin caught his eye and he's written a book about it.Listener Rebecca Peyton experienced the sudden losses of her father when she was aged 6 and her sister when she was 32. She joins us to tell us how she's so keen to talk about death that she wrote a show about it. Sir David Tang grew up in Hong Kong before moving to the UK aged 13. After teaching philosophy for a short time, he went into business, and became an agony uncle for the Financial Times. We have the inheritance tracks of Vogue editor, Alexandra Shulman who chooses Ladies who Lunch by Elaine Stritch and Blowing in the Wind performed by Stevie Wonder. And we'll hear from Diary of a Wimpy Kid author, Jeff Kinney and have your thank yous.The Racehorse who wouldn't Gallop is by Clare BaldingThe Reliant Robin, Britain's most bizarre car is by Giles ChapmanRules for Modern Life, A connoisseur's Survival Guide is by Sir David Tang and he will also appear at the Royal Geographical Society in conversation with Andrew Marr on 17 November.Inside Vogue, a diary of my hundredth year is by Alexandra ShulmanDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down is by Jeff KinneyProducer Corinna JonesEditor Karen Dalziel.

11/5/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Actor and broadcaster Tony Robinson joins Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles to talk about his life onstage, the impact of playing Baldrick, and the unusual way his love of history developed.Gemma-Louise Stevenson shares the art of wheelchair dancing.Saturday Live Listener Dr.Ciaran O'Keeffe reveals how Ghostbusters inspired him to become a Parapsychologist.Writer Jonathan Harvey meets up with JP Devlin and explains why he's decided to return to his hometown of Liverpool.Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen The Schumann Fantasie performed by Clifford Curzon and Quintet Opus 18 by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, performed by Borodin QuartetNASA Astronaut Mike Massimino talks about venturing into space, repairing the Hubble Telescope and his intergalactic playlist.Tony Robinson's autobiography No Cunning Plan is out now.Jonathan Harvey's latest novel The History of Us is out now.Mike Massimino's book Spaceman: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

10/29/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Alexander Armstrong, quizmaster, actor, classically trained baritone and occasional oboist shares his love of music and llamas. Arlene Phillips left home at 22 to follow a career in dance. She founded the dance troupe Hot Gossip, courting controversy with Mary Whitehouse, and went on to work with a string of artists from Aretha Franklin to Robbie Williams and choreographed Hollywood films and West End shows. Charlie Dark grew up listening to pirate radio in his bedroom and by the time he was a teenager he was sneaking out to attend illegal warehouse parties. He soon became a successful jungle music DJ and travelled the world but he gave it all up to found a group of runners who give back to their community. Plus Paddy Ashdown shares his Inheritance Tracks and remembers how a failing pig farm irrevocably altered the future of his family. Arlene Phillips is featured in the book 'Dogs and Their Faithful Celebrities' by the Dogs TrustAlexander Armstrong's CD 'Upon a Different Shore' is out nowProducer: Steven Williams Editor: Karen Dalziel.

10/22/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Michael Ball joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss his musical collaboration with the Tenor Alfie Boe; his family's association with the Mini car, and how he deals with his superstitions. The inventor and designer, Max McMurdo, shares his passion for upcycling and explains how he made 25 items from an old Beetle, and converted a shipping container into his home.Adele Jackson describes her five months working at the post office in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, sending out 70,000 postcards, and monitoring 2,000 Gentoo penguins. David Bramwell provides quirky stories celebrating curiosity and adventure. JP Devlin visits the memorial garden in Aberfan, to hear a moving account from David Davies, a survivor of the Aberfan disaster.And Ben Fogle shares his Inheritance Tracks: Flash Bang Wallop sung by Tommy Steele, and It's Tricky, Run DMC.Michael Ball and Alfie Boe 'Together' - with a new album and nationwide tour.Upcycling by Max McMurdo.The Odditorium by David Bramwell and Jo Keeling is published by Brewer's.Cantata Memoria, For the Children by Karl Jackson is on the Decca label. Land Rover: The Story of the Car that Conquered the World, By Ben Fogle.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

10/15/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Tom Fletcher of McFly, Silent Film pianist Neil Brand, Bookshop frequenter Erica Jones and extreme engineer Jimmy de Ville join Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Tom Fletcher is best known as singer and songwriter of McFly, he's also written for Busted and One Direction, clocking up ten UK number one singles. He's also a children's author, having written The Dinosaur that Pooped series with his band mate Dougie Poynter, he's now written The Christmasaurus, his first solo kids' novel. Saturday Live listener Erica Jones is a bookshop champion - she likes them so much that she has devoted her weekends for the last 3 years travelling all over the country visiting bookshops, reviewing them for her blog.Neil Brand is a silent film pianist, which means he is both player and composer, improviser and emotional interpreter. He sees his role as raising the dead, bringing silent films back to life, the latest being Robin Hood from 1922. Engineer and Adventurer Jimmy de Ville went from designing toys to creating special effects to serving in Afghanistan in the British Army. More recently he's been exploiting his love of engines: advising on and acting out dangerous stunts on camera for TV programmes.JP meets Star Trek actor George Takei, we have your thank yous, and we'll have the inheritance tracks of DJ Trevor Nelson who chooses I Want You Back performed by the Jackson 5 and As by Stevie Wonder.The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher is out now.The Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and movie collection box set is available now.Neil Brand's new score for Douglas Fairbanks' 1922 Robin Hood premieres at the Barbican on 14th October.Produced by Corinna JonesEdited by Karen Dalziel.

10/8/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Ian Wright joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss his football career, proudest achievements and life after retiring from the game aged 36.Reporter JP Devlin talks to Saturday Live listener Maria Prowse who talks about the special relationship with her dog- which nearly ended when Maria gave her dog away after her husband died.Writer India Knight shares her love of dogs and reveals why she decided to choose her own name as a teenager.Nicola White talks about collecting messages in a bottle: the types of things she's found and meeting up with some of the people whose messages she's discovered.Enya shares her Inheritance Tracks. She has chosen Claude Debussy, Nocturnes: Nuages and Orinoco Flow.Award winning comedian David O'Doherty will perform a song and explain why he's written a children's book about avoiding danger.Ian Wright A Life In Football is out now.The Goodness of Dogs by India Knight is out nowNicola White is exhibiting her work at the Royal Naval College in London on the 21st December.Enya's new album Dark Sky Island is out now.Danger Really is Everywhere by David O'Doherty and Chris Judge is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

10/1/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

The illusionist Derren Brown joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss why he's spent three years researching what makes us happy. The ex-footballer and manager of the England Women's Team, Hope Powell, received 66 caps for England and became the first women to obtain the UEFA pro licence. After managing the England Women's team for 15 years she has recently been appointed as the first female coach educator at the Professional Footballer's Association.Heavy metal marine biologist "The Blowfish" explains how he "reads" fish, why he has a passion for sharks, and the thrill of diving under ice in Norway. JP meets Saturday Live listener Rosemary who reminisces about her times spent hop picking in Kent in her youth. The comedian Abi Roberts describes her experience of doing stand up in Russia - in Russian - and why she brings Opera into her act.And the designer, Wayne Hemingway, shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses You've Got a Friend by Carole King, and Black Man by Stevie Wonder.Happy: Why More Or Less Everything Is Absolutely Fine, by Derren Brown, is published by Bantam.Hope: My Life in Football, is published by Bloomsbury.Fishing Impossible is currently on ITV on Tuesdays at 7.30pm.Abi Roberts is performing Anglichanka at the Museum of Comedy in London on 14 October. Wayne Hemingway's Classic Car Boot Sale takes place in King's Cross, London on 1-2 October.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

9/24/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Comedian and writer David Baddiel on writing for children and whether death and dementia make good subjects for comedy. Olympic diver Chris Mears won gold in Rio in spectacular style. He reveals how a brush with death inspired his success and his sideline as a music producer. On the centenary of Roald Dahl's birth, Dr Tom Solomon discusses how the writer's fascination with medicine inspired many of his characters such as the BFG. As a junior doctor, Tom shared many late night conversations with the writer and gained a unique perspective on the celebrated author. Palaeobiologist Dr Tori Herridge tells us about mysterious asteroid craters in Britain and her search for fossil dwarf elephants. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of former Chelsea manager and Dutch international Rudd Gullit. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Karen Dalziel.

9/17/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Cerys Matthews, Damon Hill, Meik Wiking and Benny Lewis join Aasmah and Richard for Saturday Live. He became Formula One World Champion in 1996, following in the footsteps of his father, the legendary F1 champion Graham Hill who tragically died in a plane crash when Damon was 15 years old. Now a SKYF1 racing commentator, Damon will be telling us how he ended up behind the wheel himself. Cerys Mathew came to our attention singing about Road Rage and Mulder and Scully with her band Catatonia, she's sung with legends like Tom Jones, the Pet Shop Boys and the Manic Street Preachers, now she presents a show on BBC 6Music and has started her very own Festival. Benny Lewis spoke only English until the age of 21, now he speaks 11 languages and runs the largest language learning blog in the world. He joins us to tell his story.Denmark is often ranks the happiest country in the world. Could their passion for hygge be behind it? We talk to happiness and hygge expert, Meik Wiking.We have your thank you's and the inheritance tracks of opera star Joseph Calleja who chooses I'll never love you performed by Mario Lanza and his own version of A Vuchella.Watching the Wheels by Damon Hill is out nowThe Little book of Hygge by Meik Wiking is out 14th SeptemberBenny Lewis' Language Hacking series includes French, Spanish, Italian and GermanCerys' festival The Good Life experience takes place 16-18 September 2016 in FlintshireProducer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

9/10/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 30 seconds

Stand-up comedian and actor John Bishop joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. John Bishop found fame after discovering his talent for stand-up comedy in his thirties. He talks about his willingness to try new things, which includes a new TV interview series, his Liverpudlian identity and creating comedy.Listener Rachel Gadsden is an artist who is involved in creating artworks and an animation for the lighting of the Paralympic Heritage Torch Lighting Ceremony.Pianist Antimo Magnotta talks to JP Devlin about his experience on board the Costa Concordia cruise ship on the night the vessel collided into a rock.Comedian and writer Deborah Frances-White was adopted at ten days old in Australia. She has tracked down her birth mother and family, and continues to search for her birth father.American singer PP Arnold shares her Inheritance Tracks: River Deep Mountain High by Ike and Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin's Natural Woman, written by Carole KingSimon Cowell MBE, not the X-Factor music mogul but a former city trader. He now runs his own animal rescue centre, the Wildlife Aid Foundation.John Bishop: In Conversation With... continues on Thursday's at 9pm on W. Deborah Frances-White's 4-part series 'Rolls the Dice' begins on Radio 4 on Friday at 11.30am.PP Arnold is touring around the UK from October as part of Maximum Rhythm N' Blues.Simon has published the book My Wild Life: The story of a Most Unlikely Animal Rescuer, which is out now. Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

9/3/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Ralf Little. He first came to our attention as Antony in The Royle Family and has now produced the 'mockumentary' series Borderline. He reveals why he swapped medical school for acting and what it was like to play football with Zinedine Zidane. JP Devlin meets Fergus Anckorn, a former British soldier, he was the youngest member of the Magic Circle and now, at the age of 97, he is its oldest member.Joanna Cannon advises people to 'dare to fail'. Having left school with one O Level, she worked in various jobs from cleaning kennels to pizza delivery, but ended up studying medicine, becoming a psychiatrist and writing her first book 'The Trouble With Goats and Sheep'.Jonathan Scott grew up in Berkshire, but has spent the past 40 years living in Kenya. He started out as a novice safari guide in the Maasai Mara Reserve and went on to become a wildlife artist, photographer and author. He describes his fascination for leopards and filming for the popular BBC series 'Big Cat Diary'. RJ Mitte rose to fame as Walter White Jr in the US hit series Breaking Bad. Like his character, RJ has cerebral palsy. He is now one of the presenters for Channel 4's Paralympics coverage which begins on 7 September. Ade Edmondson shares his Inheritance Tracks - The Song of the Weather performed by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann; and Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.Borderline is on Channel 5, Tuesday nights at 10pm.Jonathan Scott's memoir, The Big Cat Man - an Autobiography is published by Bradt travel guides. Ade Edmondson can be seen in the 4 part series One Of Us which continues on BBC 1 at 9pm on Tuesdays.Produced by Louise Corley and Annette Wells.Editor: Karen Dalziel.

8/27/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Miles Jupp joins the Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir and shares his love of cricket, rollercoasters and why he is possibly the poshest stand-up comedian on the circuit.Lance Corporal Richard Jones from the Household Cavalry reveals how he combines being a magician alongside his military career.Plus a trio of extreme sports enthusiasts: Blake Aldridge on why he left the world of Olympic diving to become a cliff diver, Emily Guilding explains the appeal of wing walking and why she performs headstands strapped to the wings of a plane and Saturday Live listener Romy Shovelton who races camels in her spare time. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of the former head of the army Lord Richard Dannatt, High on a Hill by the Band and Bugles Of The Light Division and Highland Cathedral by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard.Miles Jupp's stand-up tour Songs Of Freedom starts on September 7th at the Stables in Milton Keynes, and continues around the UK finishing in February 2017. Richard Jones is starring in the Impossible magic show, at the Noel Coward Theatre in London until the 27th August.Romy Shovelton will be camel racing at Chilham Castle, Canterbury on 4th September.Blake Aldridge can next be seen diving in the UK at Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the 11th September.Produced by Claire Bartleet and Steven WilliamsEditor: Beverley Purcell.

8/20/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 44 seconds

Craig Charles and David Emanuel join Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.For a while Craig Charles was best known for playing Dave Lister in sci fi comedy Red Dwarf, but he has probably usurped that with his love for Funk and Soul, dj-ing on BBC 6 music and gigging around the country. With acting, poetry, performance, dj-ing and writing under his belt, now he's championing BBC Get Playing. Fashion Designer and Royal Couturier David Emanuel has dressed Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, Joan Collins and Princess Diana, done the Jungle and now he's on Saturday Live!Claire Garabedian contacted Saturday Live about her unusual job - working in the therapeutic arts as a professional cellist. She joins Richard and Aasmah.Earlier this year Lizzie Carr became the first person to paddle board the length of England via its connected waterways, using entirely human powered means. She'll tell us about her adventure, and why she did it.We'll have a thank you from one of our listeners. And we'll have the Inheritance Tracks of geneticist Steve Jones who chooses Rachie by Caradog Roberts and Richard Wagner: Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Funeral March.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Beverley Purcell.

8/13/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Martin Fry is a singer/songwriter who came to prominence in the early 1980s as lead singer of the band ABC. Their debut album, the Lexicon of Love, was a UK number one. Thirty four years on, he has released a sequel to reflect how his perspective on life and love has changed; and he explains why he now chooses to perform with an orchestra. The conductor Paul MacAlindin recalls how a newspaper advert: 'Iraqi teen seeks Maestro' led to him becoming the musical director of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. Saturday Live listener Leslye Stansfield describes being reunited with her long lost bicycle and why its value is so sentimental. JP Devlin visits Matthew Sweet to take a look around his home and discover what it reveals about him. Jason Kingsley OBE, is a games developer and Royal Armouries Trustee, but in his spare time he is a practising knight. He discusses his passion for riding warhorses and jousting in a reproduction 15th century Milanese harness. And Billy Ocean shares his Inheritance Tracks - No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley and A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke.The Lexicon of Love II is out now. ABC will be performing an autumn tour with the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra, conducted by Anne Dudley.Upbeat - The Story of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq will be Book of The Week on Radio 4 from 15 August.Here you are: The Best of Billy Ocean is out now, and he has a Spring Tour in 2017.

8/6/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 33 seconds

Dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep talks about life as a dancer, his love of the stars and shares his unusual new hobby.Gary Fildes is a bricklayer turned astronomer, and founder of the Kielder Observatory in Northumberland.Listener Andrew Townsend talks about how his life changed after taking up running when he was 55.Reporter JP Devlin will be hearing all about how to train cats with Sarah Ellis, a Feline Behaviour Specialist.Writer and Producer Tony Garnett shares his Inheritance Tracks - he's chosen Tea for Two and Beautiful Boy by John Lennon.With the Rev Richard Coles and Suzy KleinProducer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/30/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 29 seconds

Saturday Live's summer road trip begins in South Shields, at the Westovian Theatre, with Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.As preparations for the maritime themed summer parade get underway, actor and presenter Denise Welch talks about why the North East will always be home, the return of TV series Boy Meets Girl and keeping her Geordie accent.Olympian Brendan Foster talks about his athletic career and his inspiration for founding the Great North Run.Leading the summer parade in South Shields is listener Ray Spencer, who is also the Executive Director of the Customs House arts centre. Ray will be revealing his maritime themed costume and sharing his love of pantomimes.JP Devlin reveals what happened when he followed up a listener email and went to the reunion of the Double Decker Club, who set off on a holiday across Europe in the summer of 1964, on a red double decker bus purchased from London Transport.Graham Young has been celebrating the British chippy for the Birmingham Mail since 2005. He talks about how he became a chip reviewer and what makes the perfect take-away.Mike, Chris, Steve and Ken from the English folk group The Wilson Family will be performing live and talking about the regional influences that inspire them.Chris Rea shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen My Father, sung by Nina Simone and So What by Miles Davis.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/28/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds

The Saturday Live Summer Road Trip pulls into its final stop in Cromer, Norfolk where Reverend Richard Coles and Kate Silverton broadcast live from the Pavilion Theatre at the end of Cromer Pier. They are joined by Lesley Garrett, one of Britain's most popular sopranos, actor and writer Charlie Higson who found fame with the Fast Show, the double bass playing beatboxer Bellatrix and Steve Ignorant, lead singer of seminal punk band Crass, who became a Norfolk lifeboat man and part time Punch and Judy performer. Richard and Kate discover why the pier became a uniquely British institution from the man who has visited every single pier in the UK, Chris Foote Wood. Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke shares the music he treasures and the music he would like to pass on to future generations in his Inheritance Tracks. Plus Sir Michael Savory who has amassed Britain's largest private collection of tanks at Muckleburgh and Saturday Live reporter JP Devlin gives members of the audience a chance to say Thank You to the people they never got the chance to thank for a good deed done. Producer: Steven WilliamsEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/28/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

This week the Saturday Live road trip continues to Morecambe in Lancashire, where the Catch The Wind Kite Festival is taking place this weekend, with beautiful views across Morecambe Bay and plenty of fresh sea air. The programme comes live from The Platform, where Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles celebrate the great day out, nostalgia, kites and space. Morecambe-born designer Wayne Hemingway recalls his childhood in the resort, and tells us why Morecambe's seafront provides the perfect backdrop to his Vintage by the Sea Festival, attracting crowds of up to 40,000. With a spectacular display of kites across the bay, Dave Holt describes his life-long passion for making and flying soft kites, purely inflated by the wind. Cedric Robinson MBE has been on the notoriously dangerous sands all his life. As Queen's Guide for more than 50 years, he walks up to 500 people across at a time, walking the equivalent of twice round the world in the process!The writer and comedian, Helen Keen's first stand up show It Is Rocket Science has won awards and been picked up by Radio 4 for three critically acclaimed series. She describes why her subject matter tends towards the unusual and esoteric, when her fascination for rockets began and why she's so enthusiastic about space. The world's fastest one man band, Peter Moser, provides the music. He demonstrates his kit with bells and whistles on, and explains its appeal and relevance today.JP meets the actress Margaret James, for a Brief Encounter. Hunter Davies shares his Inheritance Tracks - Georgy Girl by The Seekers and And I Love Her, by the Beatles; and there are live Thank Yous from the audience.Helen Keen will be appearing at the bluedot Festival at Jodrell Bank, from 22-24 July. The Co-op's Got Bananas, by Hunter Davies, is out now. Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/16/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds

The next stop on the Saturday Live summer road trip is the beautiful seaside town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire. It's the Long Course Weekend and Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles will be celebrating extreme sports, adrenaline and music, live from Wales.Wrexham lad Tim Vincent first hit our screens as the youngest ever male Blue Peter presenter, which saw him flying a fighter jet, running the New York Marathon and carrying a large tree around with 3 other paras. He's spent the last 11 years as the roving reporter on NBC's flagship entertainment programme, Access Hollywood. American country singer Stella Parton will be with us to talk about her new album 'Mountain Songbird: A Sister's Tribute' - a collection of re-recorded songs previously made famous by her sister, Dolly Parton. A mix of orienteering, mountaineering and swimming with tombstoning thrown in, the extreme sport of coasteering is said to originate in Pembrokeshire. Local guide Ollie Davies talks about his passion for this exhilarating pastime. As a scientist, adventurer and educator, Huw James is well versed in adrenaline. He uses his enthusiasm for extreme sports to teach science, in between keeping the night sky dark in the Brecon Beacons. O DUO are that rare thing - a duo of percussionists. After training at the Royal College of Music an Edinburgh festival novelty act has led to 15 years of percussive duets. Owen Gunnel and Oliver Cox join us on Saturday Live before their gig at the Gower festival.JP meets local hero and "Mr Tenby", Laurie Dale, and we'll have thank yous live from our studio audience.And the Inheritance Tracks of TV Weather presenter Sian Lloyd who chooses Can Walter by Meic Stevens and Something Inside So Strong by Labi Siffre.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/9/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 25 seconds

Richard Madeley is one of the most recognizable faces on British TV, part of a successful husband and wife presenting team that lasted over 20 years. He has written four books - one about his relationship with his father, the latest called 'The Night Book' which is published this month.Living statues. You see them now in Trafalgar Sq. and at the seaside, wherever tourists gather, standing dead still, or sometimes even appearing to hover, for hours for the amusem*nt of the crowds. One (at least) is a regular listener to the programme, Eve Blakemore, and she's with us now, and she's dressed magnificently... Steve Rich loved football and played at amateur level until a car accident and a ruptured knee in his twenties ended all that. Twenty years later, he's back on the pitch, but at his own pace - playing walking football. Gina Yashere has been a stand up and TV star in the UK for several years now, with appearances on iconic TV shows such as Live at the Apollo & Mock the Week, as well as creating & performing popular comedic characters on The Lenny Henry Show. She broke onto the American comedy scene with her appearances on Last Comic Standing (NBC), where she made it to the final 10, and then never went home.Playwright David Hare shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen 'Oh What a Lovely War (Joan Littlewood Stage Show) & Simple Twist of Fate (by Bob Dylan) Sung by Diana Krall)Richard Madeley's new book The Night Book is Published by Simon & Schuster 30 June 2016 | Paperback Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

6/25/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 59 seconds

Rick Astley rolls into the studio to talk to Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about his comeback album, what it's like to be at the top of the charts the second time round and why he drives to as many different concerts as possible even if they are abroad. Police Sergeant Colin Taylor reveals the trials of policing one of Britain's most remote communities on the Scilly Isles.Professional clown Dan Lees discusses his experiences of performing for children in refugee camps as part of the Clown Without Borders ensemble and why he thinks clowns are the most misunderstood of theatrical performers. Lido lover and Saturday Live listener Sarah Thelwall on why she is planning to swim in every open air pool in the UK. Plus British Skeleton Bob competitor Amy Williams shares the music that inspired her Olympic gold medal success.Producer: Steven WilliamsEditor: Karen Dalziel.

6/18/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined byActor Freddie Fox starred in TV drama Cucumber, has played Romeo, and is currently performing the parts of both Demetrius and Bottom in a madcap production of A Midsummer Night's dream. Rescued from Kolkata riverside by Mother Theresa, Gautam Lewis went on to carve a career in the music industry working with bands like The Libertines. He joins us on Saturday Live to tell us his extraordinary story.Referee Mary Harmer is a football referee. She talks about her love of football, her path to becoming a referee and how volunteering helped her.A jelly version of Buckingham Palace has popped up on social media this week, and Tim Simpson is the man responsible for this and other strange concoctions such as a lifesize chocolate Benedict Cumberbatch and a tweed suit for a horse. He'll tell us how and why.JP meets record producer John Schroeder who worked with Status Quo, Cliff Richard and Helen Shapiro, and whose cat, Treasure, could predict a number one hit.We have the inheritance tracks of hairdresser to the stars Nicky Clarke who chooses Starman by David Bowie and Beautiful Boy by John Lennon, and your thank yous.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

6/11/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

This week on Saturday Live - Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton speak to wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan about her long and varied career, train enthusiast David Brewer, the man who has photographed every railway station in the UK, Rachel Mariner on swapping the courtroom to write for the stage and Mark Simpson, Young Musician of the Year in 2006 and is a nominee in the South Bank Sky Arts Awards for The Immortal, his new work for orchestra and chorus. Plus Juliet Stevenson shares her Inheritance TracksProducer: Maire Devine Editor: Karen Dalziel.

6/4/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

The comedy writer and performer, Barry Cryer, joins Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton.James Young has always been a keen gamer. When, in 2012, he lost two limbs after he was hit by a train, James thought he'd never pick up a games controller again. He explains how he is now at the centre of one of the biggest projects in the gaming world - the creation of a high tech prosthetic arm.JP Devlin meets Carlo Ancelotti to talk about football - and cheese.John Ahern describes life on the road with his family, travelling from the North Pole to African Desert in a rickety campervan.And Pixie Lott shares her Inheritance Tracks - Love Come Down performed by Evelyn Champagne King, and Something Inside So Strong, by Labi Siffre.Bodyhack: Metal Gear Man BBC Three Documentary is available on BBC iplayer.Quiet Leadership by Carlo Ancelotti is published by Penguin.On The Road With Kids: One Family. 30 Countries. No Turning Back, by John Ahern, is out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

5/28/2016 • 56 minutes, 48 seconds

Former political correspondent, pasa doble specialist and now narrow boat enthusiast John Sergeant celebrates 50 years of broadcasting and reveal show he got his break into the industry Garden designer Juliet Sargeant tells us about her preparations for the pinnacle of the horticultural year - the Chelsea Flower Show. Saturday Live listener Freya Rodger reveals why she is attempting to do all 41 Olympic Sports before the closing ceremony in this year's GamesSwedish elite athlete Mikael Lindnord took part in endurance race across the Ecuador. After taking pity on a stray dog and feeding him some meatballs, the dog then followed Mikael hundreds of miles across mountains rivers and the jungle. Mikael named him Arthur and eventually took him back to live with his family in Sweden. Plus the singer, actor and now writer, John Barrowman shares his Inheritance Tracks And the school teacher and his pupils who were so inspired by Saturday Live guest Liesbeth Langford, that they made an award winning film of her life.

5/21/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds

With Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard ColesActor and writer David Mitchell talks about playing William Shakespeare in new series Upstart Crow, his comedy partnership with Robert Webb, and being unable to read people, despite getting a lot of practice as team Captain on Would I Lie to You.As the football season comes to an end, listener Angela Hallam talks about the craft of making football mascots, and her experiences of wearing the costume.Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour reflects on his career, which included signing for Fulham aged 9 and cleaning boots as an apprentice.Njambi McGrath is a comedian and antenatal teacher. She talks about finding her voice as a performer, growing up in Kenya and the difficult relationship with her father - which she talks about in her latest show.Amanda Holden shares her inheritance Track: Meat Loaf's Dead Ringer for Love and Dolly Parton's 9 to 5.Chester Town Crier David Mitchell talks about spending over two decades in the role, and explains why he's chosen an 18th century outfit.Upstart Crow staring David Mitchell continues on Monday on BBC 2 at 10pm, except in Northern Ireland where it's on at 11.35pm.Ray Parlour's autobiography The Romford Pele is out nowAmanda Holden can be seen on Britain's Got Talent at 8pm on ITV.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

5/14/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Mark Haddon.Best known for writing multi prize winning novel The Curious Incident of the dog in the Nighttime, author and illustrator Mark Haddon will discuss his first book of short stories and getting writers block.Since 2009 a third of our public libraries have closed. Poet and model Greta Bellamacina joins us to talk about a film she's made in support of The Library.Listener Sanjeen Payne-Kumar contacted us about an extraordinary meeting he had with Mother Teresa. We thought we'd better get him on the programme to tell us more, and it turns out it's not the only interesting story he has...Sophie Scott is a neuroscientist who has a particular interest in laughter. No surprise, then that she also does Stand up comedy. She'll be in the studio with Aasmah and Richard.We'll hear the inheritance tracks Katherine Jenkins who chooses We are Family by Sister Sledge and Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra.JP meets Peter Pullon, model maker to the stars and we have your Thank You.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen DalzielMark Haddon's book of short stories, The Pier Falls is out on 5th MayThe Safe House: A Decline of Ideas has its premiere at The Gate cinema in Notting Hill on May 23 and will appear at a selection of independent cinemas.Katherine Jenkins' new album Celebration is out now and her UK tour continues on June 10th in Poole.

5/7/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

With Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles Lenny Henry talks about his new album of Blues music and his hugely successful career in show business. Following the news that he will receive a special BAFTA award at this year's ceremony, Lenny discusses how his career has moved from TV comedian to Shakespearean actor and scriptwriter. Lenny is also one of the founders of the charity Comic Relief which has raised over a billion pounds since it started.Soprano Pumeza Matshikiza was brought up in the townships of South Africa and made the giant leap into a professional operatic career and a major label recording contract. Pumeza first heard opera on the radio aged 14 and despite being unable to read music she dedicated herself to studying the art form.Jack Cooke tells us why he gave up his office job for a life climbing trees. Jack has climbed over 80 trees for his new book and reveals the unusual things he's found up trees and some of the more surreal arboreal adventures he's had.Ceramics designer Emma Bridgewater shares her Inheritance Tracks: Le Premier Bonheur du Jour by Francoise Hardy and Gulf Coast Highway by Emmylou Harris & Willie Nelson.Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters talks to reporter Anna Bailey about her love of robots. And former hang gliding world champion Ron Freeman explains how he was first inspired to take up the sport after watching Peter Pan. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Karen Dalziel.

4/30/2016 • 1 hour, 26 minutes

With Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard ColesJames Nesbitt talks about going back to his childhood home to play Colin Howell in real life drama The Secret, the return of Cold Feet and his Shakespearean roles.Edward Wilson-Lee has just published the book Shakespeare in Swahililand, he talks about growing up in Kenya and the bard's legacy in parts of Africa.Composer and musician William Lyons will be bringing Shakespearean music to life- bringing the shawm, bass dulcian, recorder and renaissance flute and bagpipes to play live in the studio.Listener Paul Kynaston is Assistant Head Teacher at Malvern Primary School in Liverpool. He invited JP Devlin to meet the schoolchildren in the drama club to hear what they think about Shakespeare.And offering a distinctive celebration of Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon, JP Devlin will be hearing listener stories about their Shakespearean triumphs and tragedies, and talking to a Codpiece expert Victoria Bartels. She'll be explaining why this particular pouch was de rigueur in the 15th and 16th centuries and why it went out of fashion. Actor Kingsley Glover takes centre stage to be our codpiece model.BBC 6 Music breakfast presenter Shaun Keaveny shares his Inheritance Tracks: The Isley Brothers, This Old Heart of Mine and Purple Rain by Prince.The Secret staring James Nesbitt begins on April 29 on ITV at 9pm.Shakespeare in Swahililand is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

4/23/2016 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 2 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles talk to the actress Michelle Collins about her love of markets and clothes, her singing and acting career from EastEnders to Coronation Street, and her latest role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Wayne Hemingway shares his passion for classic cars, boot sales and his vast collection of vintage vinyl.The 'natural navigator' Tristan Gooley, explains how to read water - drawing on his own pioneering journeys to reveal the clues, signs and patterns in ponds, puddles, oceans and even in the bath. And Tom Gregory remembers swimming the Channel at the age of 11.JP Devlin meets Pat Stewart aka "The Girl in the Spotty Dress" to hear about the iconic 1950s photograph taken of her and friend Wendy Clarke on Blackpool Promendade, her association with Laurel and Hardy and the significance of song her husband left her.And the film director, Peter Greenaway, shares his Inheritance Tracks: An Elephant Never Forgets, performed by Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Band, and Concerto in A minor for Bassoon, composed by Antonio Vivaldi and performed by Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Neville Marriner.Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently playing at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend and is then on tour around the country.How to Read Water, by Tristan Gooley is out now.The Classic Car Boot Sale is at Lewis Cubitt Square, King's Cross, London N1C 4UZ, today and tomorrow, 16 / 17 April.Peter Greenaway's latest film 'Eisenstein in Guanajuato' is in cinemas now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Beverley Purcell.

4/16/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by DJ and writer Stuart Maconie.Stuart's new paperback 'The Pie at Night', is an exploration of "what the North does for fun" and a defence of northerners who make the effort to get dressed up for a glam night out. Stuart reveals the little-known corners of northern towns and countryside where old or quirky customs still live on.Saba Douglas-Hamilton met her first wild elephant at the age of six weeks. She's now a conservationist and raising her own children amidst wild elephants in Kenya. She's also a wildlife documentary maker and presenter of 'This Wild Life' and 'Big Cat Diaries'. She talks about waking up with a bull elephant looming over her and coping with a spitting cobra in the bathroom.Radzi Chinyanganya is the classic adrenalin-fulled 'Blue Peter' presenter and has competed in karate and skeleton bob. But perhaps his most dangerous stunt was running on custard. (Listen to find out why.) In a change from the usual content, Radzi has made a special programme called 'The Walk That Changed The World', in which he retraces the route of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights march led by his hero Martin Luther King Jr.Bestselling thriller writer Frederick Forsyth shares his Inheritance Tracks. He inherits 'Ol' Man River' sung by Paul Robeson and passes on 'Fallen Soldier' sung by Melissa.Following on from last week's thank you to Deirdre, a cabin crew member who saved a child in a hijacking, and then disregarded her own safety to reboard the plane - we hear from Deirdre herself.Listeners tell us how they spend their Saturdays working as Special Constables. And we're live from the jockeys' weighing room at Aintree ahead of the Grand National.Producer: Paul Waters.

4/12/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Paul Young.His music was the sound of the 80's, with a multitude of chart topping hits, he won Best British Male at the Brit awards, toured Europe and America, and sang the opening lines of 'Do they know it's Christmas' for Band Aid in 1984. Paul Young talks about his passion for music, performing, 'Tex Mex' and Soul, the theme of the first solo album he's released for 20 years.Deta Hedman is ranked number one by the World Darts Federation. An unexpected achievement given that she was born in Jamaica and works full time for Royal Mail. She'll join us in the studio to talk about the competitive spirit that has seen her become a legend in darts.Growing up in Fleetwood, Lancashire, almost surrounded by water, Neil Howard Pritchard was fascinated with the sea. Then, a near-death experience on the lifeboat slip when he was eight years old triggered an interest in boat making, and he's been crafting intricate model boats ever since. He'll join us from Liverpool to talk about his work and passion for lifeboats. Today is Get Creative day with hundreds of events happening all over the country and if you want to find out what is happening in your area there is a link at the bottom right of this web page, together with a link for more information about Fleetwood lifeboats.James Massiah is a spoken word artist who is fronting the BBC Turn it Up campaign. He joins us to talk about the power of radio and expression.Sherlock and Mr Selfridge actor Amanda Abbington chooses her inheritance tracks. She inherits Dear Prudence by The Beatles and passes on Furious by Joan as Police Woman.Peter Shilton talks about his love of oysters and how he met his fiancée.And we'll have your thank yous.Paul Young's album is 'Good Thing' and will be released on 15 April.

4/2/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Presented by Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein. Dexter Fletcher's big break came as a child actor when he was cast a BabyFace in Bugsby Malone. He talks about his acting career, move into directing and the technical challenges of making his latest film Eddie the Eagle.Shazia Mirza is an award winning stand-up comedian, a writer and columnist. Brought up in a strict Muslim household, she trained as a science teacher, while honing her stand-up act in secret. Toby Little and his mother Sabine talk about his mission to write a letter to every country in the world. JP Devlin meets Saturday Live listener Ann Ward, to hear how a letter about the great-great grandfather inspired her to volunteer for the lambing season in his home village. Tim Birkhead describes why a bird's egg is the most perfect thing. And businessman Theo Paphitis shares his Inheritance Tracks: Nobody Does it Better, sung by Carly Simon; and Over the Rainbow, performed by Eva Cassidy.Eddie the Eagle is out on 1 April.Shazia Mirza is on tour with her show The Kardsahians Made Me Do It.Dear World, How Are You? by Toby Little is out now.The Most Perfect Thing, by Tim Birkhead is published on 7 April.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/26/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

With the Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah MirMel Giedroyc is taking on her most serious acting role, playing an American mother dealing with the potentially troubling actions of her son, in the play Luce. Mel also discusses the importance of her name, her relationship with Sue Perkins and The Great British Bake Off.Chinese sportswoman Lijia Xu left her parents to become a full time sailor aged ten and in 2012 became an Olympic Gold medallist. She talks about her path to success- and the obstacles she had to overcome.Listener Richie Tattersall played the ukulele on Labi Siffre's It must be Love, chosen as one of David Troughton's Inheritance Tracks. Richie reveals that whilst he was an experienced session musician, he had never previously played the ukulele.As part of the Sport Relief weekend, reporter JP Devlin has been to Jamie's farm, which encourages children at risk of social and academic exclusion to re-engage and thrive.Singer Will Young shares his Inheritance Tracks: Taxman by The Beatles and Joan Armatrading- Love and Affection.The financial crash in 2008 meant Dinah Jefferies was unable to complete her plan of retiring in Spain. To make money she turned to writing and is now a best-selling author.Luce runs at the Southwark Playhouse in London until the 2nd April.Golden Lily by Lijia Xu is out now.Will Young's latest album 85% Proof is out now.The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jefferies is out now.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/19/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Anita Dobson's acting career spans more than forty years. She found fame in the 1980s playing pub landlady Angie Watts in EastEnders. She has starred in television, film and theatre productions as diverse as Hamlet, Follies and London Road. She talks about her career and growing up in the East End.Alastair Humphreys is an adventurer who has cycled around the world and walked a lap of the M25. He pioneered the concept of micro-adventures (adventures close to home) but has now turned his attention to 'grand adventures'. He explains how adventures great or small are within everyone's grasp.Fifty years ago, a group of boys from the Kettering Grammar School Satellite Tracking Group discovered a new and undiscovered soviet space launch site. To celebrate, Leicester's National Space Centre is holding an exhibition. Mike Sinnett, a former pupil talks about the discovery and how it catapulted the boys into the media spotlight.Bookshop owner Stephen Foster has a licence to fill shelves. He has provided books for film sets such as James Bond's 'Spectre' and 'Skyfall', 'The Danish Girl' and 'Mr Holmes'. He talks about his love for old and rare books and explains how he chooses the books to fit the character's personality.The inheritance tracks of the actress Rachael Stirling who chose Bob Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay' and Ella Fitzgerald's 'Too Darn Hot'.Kate Recordon has been finding out about how the interaction with our dogs can be life-changing.Anita Dobson is in conversation at St James theatre, London on 20th March at 3pm.Alastair Humphreys book 'Grand Adventures' is out now.Rachael Stirling stars in 'The Winter's Tale' at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London.Producer: Dianne McGregorEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/12/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles are joined by Bafta award winning actor Rebecca Front to talk about being funny, playing dislikeable characters and claustrophobia.Chef and writer Allegra McEvedy has been cooking professionally for over 20 years, in London and the USA. She set up food chain LEON, is a Patron of the Fairtrade foundation, writes food columns and cookery books and last year was a judge on CBBC's Bafta winning Junior Bakeoff. She'll be cooking up something for Mothering Sunday (recipe below) and reflecting on her own mother who passed away when she was 17.Listener Henry Iddon contacted us about his term as artist in residence at Forton Services on the M6 in Lancashire. He joins us to share his love and fascination of this essential and iconic landmark.Listener Hannah Velten's brother Christian went missing in Africa 13 years ago whilst following in the footsteps of Mungo Park, the Scottish explorer. Wanting to keep his memory alive, Hannah started a blog where friends and family could share their memories. This inspired her to set up a company to record memories for people. She'll tell her story to Richard and Aasmah.We'll hear the inheritance tracks of The Archers actor David Troughton who chose Elgar's variations on an original theme, opus 36, the enigma Nimrod and It must be Love by Labi Siffre.We hear your Thankyous, and JP meets a couple who met over mutual admiration for Ipswich Town Football Club.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/5/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Marian Keyes joins the Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. A columnist, blogger and bestselling author of a dozen novels, she has sold more than 33 million copies worldwide. She shares her passion for "the twitters", collecting drawer knobs, browsing in chemists and "beachouse banjo" - chalk painting old furniture.Gilding the recycled lily, mosaic maker Ed Chapman talks about his portraits which have turned sugar cubes into Alan Sugar, Welsh slate into Richard Burton and gravy stains into Andy Murray. Such inventive thrift will appeal to Jordon Cox, king of the couponeers, and the lad who flew to Sheffield via Berlin to save £8 on the train fare. His passion for couponing began after watching at TV programme. It was watching an inflight movie that inspired Adam Walker to give up his day job as a kettle and toaster salesman, to become the only Briton to have swum the Oceans Seven Challenge. He recalls inventing a new stroke after he torn his bicep, that led to a new career in coaching and teaching technique.JP meets Saturday Live listener, Margaret Amey, to explore her collection of 700 teapots. And the singer Tony Christie's shares his Inheritance Tracks: Come Back To Me, performed by Sammy Davis Jnr, featuring Buddy Rich Live at The Sands; and The Folks Who Live on the Hill, sung by Peggy Lee.Making It Up As I Go Along, by Marian Keyes.The David Beckham mosaic is on show at Phillips Auctioneers in Mayfair.Man -V- Ocean by Adam Walker is out now.Tony Christie's 'The Great Irish Songbook' is out now on Wrasse Records,Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

2/27/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

The actor Laurence Fox is best known for playing DI James Hathaway in the ITV crime drama Lewis. He's now on the London stage playing a giant of history Charles de Gaulle in 'The Patriotic Traitor'. He is part of Britain's most famous acting dynasty that includes his father James, uncle Edward and cousin Emilia. He is now carving out a career in music and has just released his debut album. He joins Saturday Live to talk about his new role, his passion for music, and his love for the countryside.The zoologist Lucy Cooke grew up in the English countryside and was fascinated with nature from an early age. Her new TV series shows the length that people go to save orphaned animals. She joins Saturday Live to talk about her own passion for animals, in particular the weird and unloved ones.Listener Lorna Currie Thom*opoulos is a collector of paper dolls. She describes her collection as historical, beautiful and cherished fragile object d'arts.Giles Abbott has just returned from a storytelling festival in India. He started storytelling after vision loss at the age of twenty-five. He talks about his love for traditional stories.Levi Roots shares his Inheritance Tracks: Say a Little Prayer by Aretha Franklin and To Zion by Lauryn Hill.Wendy Hilling shares her experience of living with her full time carer Teddy the golden retriever.Laurence Fox stars in 'The Patriotic Traitor' at Park theatre London'Nature's Miracle Orphans' presented by Lucy Cooke and Patrick Aryee is on BBC 1. Next episode Sunday 28th February.'My Life in His Paws' by Wendy Hilling is published on 25 February.Producer: Dianne McGregorEditor: Karen Dalziel.

2/20/2016 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 14 seconds

After playing tough guys in Layer Cake, Oliver Twist and Nil by Mouth, the part of thug Derek Branning in Eastenders seemed a natural choice for actor Jamie Foreman. But with comedy parts in Birds of a Feather and Pantomime under his belt he's now pushing his boundaries with an all singing all dancing role in Mrs Henderson Presents in the West End in London. Given his background as an East End gangster's son, his dramatic career seems even more surprising. He joins Richard and Aasmah on Saturday Live.Social psychologist Viren Swami has a passion for passion, having studied attraction for ten years. He'll be discussing dating formation, revealing relationship myths and advising how best to meet your match.They met at Birmingham University and despite not studying music they came together over their love of voice and formed an a Cappella group. The sons of Pitches went on to win Gareth Malone's naked choir competition, broadcast on BBC 2 at the end of last year, and now they are making a go at a professional career. 5 out of 6 of them join us on Saturday to talk about their passion for voice and to demonstrate it's versatility, and they'll be serenading us with an alternative love song.Ruth Goodman is a social historian who is passionate about how people lived in the past, so much so that she spends much of her free time taking part in enactments. Her latest book is about her favourite era, and entitled How to be a Tudor.We hear from listeners Paul and Helen who fell in love over the harp, and your Thank yous.Comedian, writer and actor Chris Addison chooses his inheritance tracks. He inherited Mozart's Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments ('Gran Partita') and will pass on Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards by Billy Bragg (from 'Worker's Playtime')Jamie Foreman stars in Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward Theatre in LondonViren Swami's book is Attraction Explained published by RoutledgeHow to be a Tudor is by Ruth Goodman published by PenguinThe Sons of Pitches tour starts in May 2016 - details via link to their website belowChris Addison stars in The Royal Opera's new production of Emmanuel Chabrier's L'Étoile which runs 1-24 February 2016.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

2/13/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

The singer-songwriter and actor Ronan Keating joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles.Ronan has sold more than 45 million records worldwide as a solo artist, and alongside Boyzone. After a break to star to critical acclaim in the west end musical Once, and appear as a judge on Australian X-Factor, he has returned with a very personal album. He describes how he was inspired from newfound happiness following his recent marriage.James Hyman explains his obsession with collecting magazines: he currently has some 75,000 magazines dating back to 1910, the largest magazine collection in the world.When Nicole Tennant died from cystic fibrosis, her twin sister Melissa found the bucket list she had written and, in an effort to keep her memory alive, she has completed the wishes - from dancing in the rain, to climbing the steps of the Eiffel Tower and milking a cow.Saturday Live listener Wendy Arnold tells the story of a coincidence that happened on her 21st birthday - almost 50 years ago.Jason and Suzanne Matthews - a former CIA spy and his spy wife - reveal how they served together for 33 years as a 'tandem couple'.And Phil Tufnell shares his Inheritance Tracks: Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MGs and Can't Take My Eyes Off You performed by Gloria Gaynor.Ronan Keating's album Time of My Life and single Let Me Love You are out on 12 February.My Sister's Wishes by Melissa Tennant, is published on 11 February.Palace of Treason By Jason Matthews.Where Am I? By Phil Tufnell is out now.

2/6/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 38 seconds

Nicky Clarke, hairdresser to the stars, shares his style tips and tales of celebrity clients from Elizabeth Taylor to Princess Diana.In 1966 George Cohen helped England to victory in the World Cup. Now he's back with stories of glory and to highlight how sporting memories can help people with dementia.You will almost certainly have heard the voice of Tessa Niles, but you will probably not know her name. She has been backing singer to The Police, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger and many more. She was on stage with David Bowie at Live Aid. She reveals what it is like to be at the edge of the limelight.Ben Bailey Smith is a rapper, a singer and an actor who has written a children's book called I Am Bear.And Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie shares her Inheritance Tracks: Edith Piaf - If You Love Me (Really Love Me) andBuffy Sainte-Marie - Carry It On.

1/30/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

The stand-up comedian, broadcaster and newspaper columnist grew up in Kent with his adopted parents. He's currently touring the country with his new stand up show. 'Who do I think I am?, which deals with his efforts to trace his birth mother. He discusses his experience of tracing his roots, and his endless fascination with British towns.Paula Zuccotti is an ethnographer, industrial designer and trends forecaster. She has been travelling the world charting a day in the life of people through their touched objects. She reveals how objects can tell stories of our lives.Anna Bailey meets Michael Nyman, the composer turned film-maker and photographer to talk about his love of the light.Graham Short is a micro engraver, who has depicted 'Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' along the sharp edge of a razor blade. He goes to extreme lengths both physical and mental to ensure he has a steady hand. He explains his love of producing art that is too small to be seen by the naked eye.Debbie Wiseman is a television and film composer. She has written the score for BBC 1's Dickensian series. She explains how she composed the themes for some of the most popular Dickens characters. She also reveals her theme tune to accompany Richard and JP.And M C Beaton shares her inheritance tracks - (There'll be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover by Vera Lynn and The Rowan Tree by Kenneth McKellar.Mark Steel's 'Who Do I think I am? tour runs until 3rd JuneEvery Thing We Touch - A 24 Hour Inventory of Our Lives by Paula Zuccotti is published by VikingDishing the Dirt by M C Beaton is published by ConstableDickensian (Original Television soundtrack) is released on 26th FebruaryProducer: Dianne McGregorEditor: Karen Dalziel.

1/23/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Katy Brand.Comedian Katy Brand graced our screen in her Big Ass Show where we saw her parody pop culture. She danced like Beyonce for Sport Relief, has written her first novel Brenda Monk is Funny and her acting credits include Peep show and Nanny McPhee. Now she's a judge on the Costa book awards.Almost four years ago Clare Owen found a gold wedding ring with an inscription and date. Her desire to reunite the ring with it's owner led her to set up her own lost and found company, Lostbox. She joins us to talk about how she's since reunited animals, soft toys and even people and to sing the praises of much maligned social media.Levison Wood is an explorer who can currently be seen Walking the Himalayas in a Channel 4 documentary series. It's a distance of 1700 miles. He previously Walked the Nile. He joins Aasmah and Richard to share his experiences and explain why he is drawn to such expeditions.Dr Eugenia Cheng is on a mission to make maths accessible. She does online maths tutorials, teaches maths to arts students and advises primary school teachers and she's even written a book about it in relation to baking: How to Bake Pi. She'll be talking about her passion for maths, music and infinity.Wombles composer Mike Batt tells us his Inheritance Tracks.Her chooses the 1st movement of Schubert's 9th Symphony (The Great C major) andLittle Red Rooster performed by Howling Wolf, written by Willy DixonJP takes a look in the diary of listener Barbara Bindley and we have your thankyous.Levison Wood's book Walking the Himalayas is out now, and the fourth and fifth parts of the series air on Channel 4, 8pm Sundays and the whole series can be viewed on All 4.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

1/16/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

The hypnotist and self-help author, Paul McKenna, has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He describes his career, working with celebrity clients, and reveals his latest work on how to gain influence and charisma.Dr. Irving Finkel began collecting diaries as a hobby, before co-founding The Great Diary Project - a collection of more than 6,000 unpublished diaries. He explains the fascination and why he's on a mission to 'rescue' diaries.JP meets Bernie Clifton, star of Saturday night television in the 1970s and 1980s, to talk about the career, the ostrich and... The Voice.Sajeela Kershi was born in Pakistan but her parents moved to Germany and then to Britain. She ended up on stage as a comedian, drawing on her background, telling stories of disastrous attempts to sing the Pakistani national anthem and bringing pakoras to the harvest festival.Dr Mark Evans is the former RSPCA chief vet, an animal expert and natural history front man. He describes how he surgically removed the heart of a sperm whale and why he's been trying to track down yeti DNA in Nepal.And Patti Smith shares her Inheritance Tracks - Nightmare by Artie Shaw, and After the Goldrush by Neil Young.Instant Influence and Charisma, by Paul McKenna, is published by Bantam Press.The Great Diary Project is at the Bishopsgate Institute in London.The Voice is on BBC One tonight at 7.30pm.Sajeela Kershi will be performing The Immigrant Diaries at the Leicester Square Theatre, on 22 January and Shallow Halal on 23 January.

1/9/2016 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Actress and author Pauline McLynn talks about her varied career which includes Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and Nasty Nick Cotton's ex-wife in EastEnders. She also discusses being attracted to playing baddies and explains why she's knitting for chickens.Hollywood trainer Dalton Wong has worked with Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and got Kit Harington into shape for Game of Thrones. Dalton talks about why he made a career out of fitness.Listener Teresa Verney-Brookes who used her redundancy money to become a Punch and Judy performer 'Professor Queen Bee'.JP Devlin meets former politician Lembit Opik who reflects on the impact of losing his seat as MP for Montgomeryshire and why he's determined to live life in the present and take opportunities.Natalie Imbruglia shares her Inheritance Tracks: Close to you by The Carpenters and Nick Cave: Into My Arms.Sportswriter Tony Evans talks about the significance of football as he was growing up in Liverpool, his time in the band 'The Farm,' and how he came to journalism late, leaving England for America after being in the crowds at Hillsborough.Cymbeline starring Pauline McLynn is at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London, until 21 April.The Feel Good Plan by Dalton Wong and Kate Faithfull-Williams is out on the 7th January.Natalie Imbruglia's latest album Male is out now.Two Tribes: Liverpool, Everton and a City on the Brink by Tony Evans is published in April.Producer Claire BartleetEditor: Louise Corley.

1/2/2016 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Join Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein for a live Boxing Day Saturday Live.Russell Grant has been synonymous with astrology ever since he interpreted the stars on breakfast TV in the 1980s. But if you remember his flamboyant outfits and presenting style, it wasn't hard to see where his real love lay. In 2011 he joined the cast of Strictly and it catapulted him back into the world of theatre, a passion which had started some years earlier at drama school. He joins Aasmah and Suzy to talk about his glittering career and his new project, an astrology themed colouring book.Bay City Rollers leader singer Les McKeown takes time out of their revival tour to tell us about how different it is now from their 1970's heyday. We'll check out if he's still wearing tartan.Chinelo Bally's passion for sewing was fuelled when she appeared on the BBC's Great British Sewing Bee programme in 2014. Despite only being in sewing for a couple of years and never having used a pattern, she was encouraged to make her passion her profession. Four years on from starting sewing she's made it her business as a designer and seamstress. She'll join be talking about the Nigerian technique of free sewing, outfit embellishment and the joy of African prints.In February this year, Sean O'Brien was body-shamed after photos of him dancing were posted online. After his story went viral, an LA woman launched a global online search to find the person they dubbed "Dancing Man" in order to invite him to a big dance party in California. He joins Aasmah and Suzy to talk about his extraordinary year, and how he has used the attention to support anti bullying charities.We'll touch base with the Coxless Crew, a team of women who will be achieving a world first by rowing 8,446 miles unsupported across the Pacific Ocean in 2015, from America to Australia, and in the process aim to raise quarter of a million pounds for their two charities Walking With the Wounded and Breast Cancer Care.We've the inheritance tracks of Jon Culshaw. He chooses Memories performed by Elvis Presley and The Boy with the Thorn in his side by The Smiths.JP meets Ken Dodd to talk about Christmas's past and we have your thank yous.Russell Grant's Art of Astrology is out on December 31stFreehand Fashion by Chinelo Bally is out nowA Christmas Shang-A-Lang: The Bay City Rollers Album is out now and their next gig is in Edinburgh on 27th DecemberKen Dodd is doing two shows in his home city of Liverpool at the Philharmonic Hall on December 28th and 29thProducer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/26/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 21 seconds

Game show regular and former MP Gyles Brandreth discusses the wonders and curiosities of the English language.Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins reveals how she overcame childhood shyness, how conducting music turned her adult life around, and where she hides smelly cheese.Veteran entertainer Bruce Forsyth shares his Inheritance Tracks and why he feels that Frank Sinatra followed his lead to New York, New York.Star Wars obsessive Jamie Stangroom searches for the iconic characters and actors that the current episode forgot - Greedo, Jar Jar, the man inside Jabba the Hut's tail. Where are they and can Jamie get them back into Star Wars? And which role did Michael Jackson want to play?We also hear from a professional Christmas tree decorator to the stars of football, music and film. He also does Bethlehem.And when Britain faced rationing after World War Two, Care parcels from America brightened up the lives and diets of many families. Decades later, we bring together a sender and a recipient.Word Play, by Gyles Brandreth, is published by Coronet Hardback books.Spectacles a memoir, by Sue Perkins, is published by Penguin Michael Joseph books.Producer: Paul WatersEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/19/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Michael Morpurgo joins Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles. He describes how stories from his mother, and a decorated soldier from WWI, have inspired his latest novel; the importance of daydreaming and his reimagining of the Nativity.Helen Sharman became the first Briton in space in 1991. She recalls how that experience affected the rest of her life as we countdown the days to Tim Peake's launch.Tony talks about his experience of being homeless for nine months, before being helped by The Connection at St. Martins.We have tracked down last week's mystery muralist: Ron Brocklehurst tells us about his painting in listener Philip Farmer's house. The photographer Derek Ridgers on documenting British youth tribes - from punks to skinheads and new romantics.JP Devlin chats on the sofa with Steph and Dom from Gogglebox.And Hayley Mills shares her Inheritance Tracks. Blue Skies by Willie Nelson, and the theme from the soundtrack to the film Whistle Down the Wind.Horizon: Tim Peake Special: How to Be an Astronaut BBC Two, 8.00pm (Scotland, 10.00pm) on Sunday 13 December.Tuesday 15 December - Blast Off Live: a Stargazing Special, BBC One, from 10.30am-11.15am and Stargazing Live: Brit in Space, BBC Two, from 7.00pm with Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain talking to him live from the ISS.An Eagle in the Snow, by Michael Morpurgo, is published by Harper Collins Children's Books.The Dark Carnival - Portraits from the Endless Night by Derek Ridgers is published by Carpet Bombing Culture.Steph and Dom's Guide to Life, published by Coronet Books, is out now.Gogglebox is on Channel 4 on Fridays at 9pm.Hayley Mills is appearing as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Richmond Theatre.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/12/2015 • 1 hour, 26 minutes, 30 seconds

It's listener week on Saturday Live with Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.We've accepted Philip Farmer's invitation to come to his house in Wolverhampton. Philip, his wife Sarah and daughter Hannah discuss their city.BBC Formula 1 presenter Suzi Perry, recently nominated as one of the Wolverhampton's Famous Daughters, will be talking about her connection to the city, Wolverhampton Wanderers and working behind the scenes at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.Sharing their undiscovered claims to fame will be Bob Saunders the man who makes The Phantom of the Opera Masks. Roy Perry reveals himself as the man who mapped Guernsey and James Bond boat driver John Pleace talks about his experiences.Listener Rob Hawkins wanted to swap Inheritance Tracks for his Inheritance Snacks. He's chosen Spaghetti Carbonara and Liver, Bacon and Mushrooms on Toast.Gemma Cairney will be talking to local people including sculptor and medallist Ron Dutton. He's behind a 1999 £2 coin design, the plaque for Wolverhampton's Famous Sons and Daughters, and his portrait is about to be unveiled at City Art Gallery. Gwen Sanchirico discusses her journey from New York IT worker to Wolverhampton brewer. Sham Sharma explains how locals helped him rebuild his business after the 2011 riots and why he's now running a fusion café.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/5/2015 • 1 hour, 27 minutes, 47 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmar Mir are joined by Caroline Quentin. She became a national treasure as the long suffering Dorothy on Men Behaving Badly, followed by lead roles in Jonathan Creek, Blue Murder and Life of Riley. She has presented documentary series on Cornwall and India, and Restoration Home. More recently she's performed at Bristol Old Vic and in the West End. She joins us ahead of a new BBC one drama Dickensian in which she stars as Mrs Bumble, where an assortment of Dickens' characters meet in a seasonal tale.Now the colder weather has finally come it seems a good time to talk about wood, more precisely, firewood. Lars Mytting has created a best seller with his book Norwegian Wood which details the art of chopping, stacking, drying and burning this ancient source of heat. He joins us to share his technical know how and cultural folklore.Listener Alistair Kean wrote to us about his experience of almost becoming a cosmonaught. He tell us how he has no regrets...Caroline Taggart is a word obsessive who has produced 20 books on the origin and meaning of words. She joins us to talk about her latest which focuses on the evolution of words and the phenomenon of the portmanteau.Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta CBE tells us about his inheritance tracks. He chooses Ng la Banda's Echale Limon and Polo Montanez's Un Millon de Estrellas.We have your Thank you's and our reporter Anna Bailey meets Alan Ayckbourn.Dickensian, a drama in 20 parts for BBC1, begins over Christmas.Norwegian Wood by Lars Mytting is out now.New Words for Old by Caroline Taggart is out now.Carlos Acosta returns to the London Coliseum for a limited run from 8 - 13 December 2015, with A Classical Selection, presenting highlights from Carlos' career in celebration of his 26 years as a dancer on the international stage.Alan Ayckbourn has two plays touring the UK currently: Confusions and Hero's Welcome, until 5th March 2016.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

11/28/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Griff Rhys Jones joins the Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir, to share tales about his long association with historic buildings, hosting quizzes in museums, his great Welsh adventures and dressing as a Dame. JP Devlin meets Paul Hendy and his family to find out about their passion for making bespoke pantomimes. Saturday Live listener Polly Wright describes finding a stash of letters between her grandmother and an Italian prisoner of war who worked on the family farm in Wales during WWII, and how she has used them to trace his family. Tracey Ford discusses the loss of her son, Andre, and the foundation she launched in his memory. The singer Beverley Knight talks about the influence of gospel and Memphis on her song writing, and her latest transition into Grizabella in CATS. And the Inheritance Tracks of Kellie Maloney. She chooses New York, New York by Frank Sinatra and Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed.Landmark - A History of Britain in 50 Buildings by Anna Keay and Caroline Stanford - Foreword by Griff Rhys Jones, is published by Frances Lincoln.CATS the musical is at The London Palladium.The Quizeum is on BBC Four on Mondays at 8.30pm.Frankly Kellie: Becoming a Woman in a Man's World is out now, published by Blink Produced by Louise CorleyEdited by Karen Dalziel.

11/21/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Anne Reid joins Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles. After becoming a household name as Coronation Street's Valerie Barlow, Anne's varied career has seen her seducing Daniel Craig in The Mother, and playing Celia in Last Tango in Halifax. Now Anne talks about fulfilling another ambition, by singing in her one women show.JP Devlin meets listener Jayne Moore who set up Greensted Hedgehog Rescue in Norfolk.Listener Andrew Morris talks about his science discussion group, which aims to show science is for everyone.Ros Hubbard gives us a glimpse into the world of casting. Ros's first big success came with The Commitments and she has gone on to discover stars including Orlando Bloom.Wildlife film-maker Gordon Buchanan has come face to face with many of the planet's biggest predators. He shares his Inheritance Tracks: DIVORCE sung by Tammy Wynette and Tusk by Fleetwood Mac.Listener Ade Clewlow explains why he traced scientist Sandor Görög, who was hidden by his father in a monastery in Hungary to avoid being rounded up by the Nazis in 1944.Anne Reid will be appearing in Kings of Broadway at the Palace Theatre in London on 29th November.Producer Claire BartleetEditor Karen Dalziel.

11/14/2015 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 15 seconds

Crime writer Ian Rankin joined Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Saturday Live hosted a special auction, offering listeners the chance to bid for some amazing prize packages to raise money for BBC Children in Need. LINES ARE NOW CLOSED - PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR TRY TO BID.There was a Just a Minute VIP Experience, a Today Programme VIP Experience, a Saturday Live VIP Experience and The Infinite Monkey Cage VIP Experience.To tell us about what the lucky winners might experience, Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir were joined by Nicholas Parsons from Just a Minute, Mishal Husain from the Today programme and Robin Ince from The Infinite Monkey cage.They were also joined in the studio by Ian Rankin OBE, award-winning writer of crime fiction and the creator of the Scottish detective John Rebus who he has featured in 20 novels to date. His latest book is Even Dogs in the Wild.We also heard from the Ty Hafan centre near Cardiff, where young people shared their personal experiences of how they have benefitted from projects funded by BBC Children in Need and Jess Davies was in the studio discussing her role in the 450 mile Rickshaw Challenge which she completed in 2014, which raised 2.7 million in a week.Antiques Roadshow auctioneer, Will Farmer, kept us updated on the bids and JP was manning the phones.We heard the inheritance tracks of Leona Lewis. She chose The first time ever I saw your face performed by Roberta Flack and One Love by Bob Marley.

11/7/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Sophie Ellis-Bextor first topped the charts with Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) and successes continued with hits including Murder On The Dancefloor and Take Me Home. Sophie joins Aasmah and Richard to talk about her career, taxidermy and reaching the final on Strictly Come Dancing.Ashley Walters found fame as rapper Asher D in So Solid Crew. He's subsequently carved out a successful acting career, including an award winning performance in the film Bullet Boy, and starring roles in Top Boy and Inside Men. Ashley discusses his career, playing PC Ryan Draper in BBC drama Cuffs, and dealing with his phobia of birds.We visit listener Jo Rhodes's Community Soup project in Settle, in North Yorkshire. In exchange for £4, hungry punters receive a bowl of soup, entitling them to vote on one of 4 pitches. Once all pitches are heard, votes are cast the winner takes all- to kick-start their project.Mark Mason talks about travelling Britain collecting facts and trivia from every one of its 124 postcode areas.Cricket Umpire Dickie Bird shares his Inheritance Tracks: Nat King Cole When I Fall in Love and Barbra Streisand The Way We Were.Donal Skehan is a self-taught cook who has been in a Boyband, had a failed bid to represent Ireland in the Eurovision song contest and has been a presenter on Junior MasterChef. He reflects on his varied career and the art of presenting food.Sophie Ellis-Bextor's latest album Wanderlust is out now.Cuffs starring Ashley Walters starts on Wednesday 28th October at 8pm on BBC 1.Mark Mason's Mail Obsession: A Journey Round Britain by Postcode is out now.Dickie Bird - 80 Not Out, written with Keith Lodge, is out now.Donal Skehan's latest book 'Fresh' is out now.

10/24/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Joining Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles is the actor, writer and comedian Steve Coogan. He has won seven comedy awards, six BAFTAs for his work including The Trip and Philomena, and had a box office number one with Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. He discusses his childhood, comedy career and love of cars, including his mum's Morris Minor Traveller. Deborah Alma, emergency poet, turns up in a 1970s ambulance - not with a suture but a sonnet. In honour of Alan Partridge JP Devlin visits Cromer to meet some of the locals. Ninette Finch - an 82 year old grandmother - describes how she became a successful 'extra' in retirement after a career in a bank, and the strange stunts she's been asked to perform. Colin MacLachan on serving in the SAS before swapping his beret for a mortar board, taking a First in History, and meeting his wife in the line of duty.And author Tony Parsons shares his Inheritance Tracks: In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning by Frank Sinatra and London Pride by Noel Coward.Easily Distracted by Steve Coogan.The Emergency Poetry - An Anti-Stress Poetry Anthology by Deborah Alma.SAS: Who Dares Wins, starts on Channel 4 on Monday 19 October at 9pm.The Slaughter Man by Tony Parsons is out now.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

10/17/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 46 seconds

He rose to fame playing windmill dwelling magician sleuth Jonathan Creek, but it was quite a departure from his roots in the comedy circuit. Alan Davies has since garnered our sympathy as the fall guy to Stephen Fry's genius in TV quiz QI. But all the while he's never stopped the stand up and he joins us mid tour.When she was only 13 years old, Yeonmi Park fled North Korea for a better life. She survived trafficking, gangsters, extreme hunger and cold, and constant fear. Her speech at the One World Summit in Dublin last year went viral, with more than 2 million views online, detailing how she wanted to "shed light on the darkest place in the world".Brett Nielsen believes he was the first of about 35 thalidomide babies born in Australia, but says he has shaped his story into a happy one. At 55, he's a successful musician with three children and two step-children. He hasn't let the fact that he was born with no arms stop him from driving a tractor or - his great love - playing the piano. In 1964 Brett was the star of Roger Graef's award-winning documentary entitled, One of them is Brett. In February this year Roger Graef revisited Brett and the result is a new hour long film about Bretts' life some 50 years later.Scott Bryan is entertainments editor at Buzzfeed who has made every single technical challenge from this year's Great British Bake off with largely disastrous results. In the week of the programme final, he joins us on Saturday Live to tell us about his experiment, bringing his final effort, the Millefeuilles.Sticking with the theme of popular TV programmes, we catch up with Jeremy Vine on his participation in Strictly come Dancing.And singer Frances Ruffelle joins us for her inheritance tracks.Alan Davies' Little Victories tour continues in Middlesborough on 30th October. The new series of QI starts on 16th October.Yeonmi Park's book In Order to Live is out now.The film Brett a Life Without Arms, is scheduled for broadcast on BBC1 13th October 2015.Brett Nielsen's latest album, Pigs in Space is available now published by Big Toe Music.Frances Ruffelle's new Album 'I Say Yeh-Yeh' is out now.

10/10/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 53 seconds

Inspired by Blue Peter at the age of three Gaby Roslin's career has taken her from The Big Breakfast to Chicago and the National Lottery Draw. She joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to talk about her life and career on stage and TV.George Dowell dreamed of playing professional football before a car crash left him paralysed from the chest down. The former defender used to play for Worthing FC but he now has a different dream - guiding the club into the football league.JP Devlin meets Allan Charles Wilmot, who describes moving from Jamaica to the UK and his life as a WWII Serviceman and post-war entertainer.Martin Withers DFC, The Vulcan to the Sky Trust's Chief Pilot, was the captain of the Vulcan that flew the historic, record-breaking, bombing run to the Falkland Islands in 1982. He talks about flying her for her final display on Sunday. Marty Jopson shares his passion for the science of everyday life - from why teapots dribble, what's the difference between a biscuit and a cake and why leaves go brown.And the singer Belinda Carlisle shares her Inheritance Tracks. She chooses True Love sung by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly and Drugs Don't Work by The Verve.Vulcan's final display is on Sunday 4 October at Gaydon - Heritage Motor Centre (Warwickshire) and Old Warden (Bedfordshire).The Science of Everyday Life by Marty Jopson, is out now.Now You Know, The Memoirs of Allan Charles Wilmot, is available from Liberation Publishers.Belinda Carlisle is touring the UK from 3 - 10 October.BELINDA CARLISLE: CD SINGLES 1986 - 2014 is out now.

10/3/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Sophie Thompson. The award winning actor has appeared in Harry Potter, EastEnders and won celebrity MasterChef in 2014. Sophie talks about how her family, which includes sister Emma and father Eric, narrator of the Magic Roundabout, inspired her to create a cookbook.Peter Bleksley is one of the experts on Channel 4's TV series Hunted, where the police are on the hunt for 14 'fugitives'. Peter worked undercover for 10 years with the Metropolitan Police and has first-hand experience of hunting and being hunted.Listener Sara Marshall describes how the cooing sound of wood pigeons helped her through a turbulent year.Trevor Lyttleton, a Saturday Live listener, talks about Contact the Elderly, a charity he founded 50 years ago aged 29.Ben Cohen, a member of the England national team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, shares his Inheritance Tracks: The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush and That's Life by Frank Sinatra.Sarah Hyndman is a graphic designer who is an expert in type and the way we respond to fonts. She explains the power that fonts wield over us, how they appeal, or otherwise, and can prompt us to think of food, luxury or tradition.Sophie Thompson's My Family Kitchen is out now.Hunted continues on Channel 4 on Thursdays at 9pm.Carry Me Home: My Autobiography by Ben Cohen is out now. Ben's anti- bullying charity is the StandUp Foundation.Sarah Hyndman is taking part in the London Design Festival.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

9/26/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

He's sold over three million records, has over 2 million twitter followers and has notched up 66 million YouTube views of his work. Rapper Professor Green aka Stephen Manderson has now written his autobiography which details his troubled past, successful present and hopes for the future. He joins us on Saturday Live.Charlie le Mindu is a hair artist. He cuts hair, makes wigs and what he calls 'haute coiffure' a fusion of high fashion and hair which has produced hair coats and clothes. He's worked with Lady Gaga, Lana Del Ray and gave Florence Welsh her flame red dye. He joins us on Saturday live to tell us about his passion for and the power of HAIR.Seva Novgorodsev is famous in the former Soviet Union for broadcasting pop music across the Iron Curtain and introducing Western culture via the BBC World Service. This month saw him retiring after 38 years, and he joins us to reflect on a career in which he also played a baddie in a Bond film, and received fan mail in the form of a message in a bottle.Catherine Gallop is a listener who contacted us about her regular visits as a volunteer to Lourdes. She tells us what impact it had on her life and those who she travelled with.Actress Emilia Clarke rose to prominence playing "Khaleesi" in Game of Thrones, she's also starred on Broadway and appears in the latest Terminator film. Her inheritance tracks are 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by The Beatles and 'Check yo self' by Ice Cube.and JP meets Ken Wilkinson who was a Spitfire pilot who flew in the Battle of Britain 75 years ago.Professor Green Lucky by Stephen Manderson is published by Blink publishingHaute Coiffure by Charlie le Mindu is published by Roads Publishing.

9/19/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Science journalist and self-experimenter Michael Mosley joins Kate Silverton and Suzy Klein. Michael's varied career started in banking and then he qualified as a doctor before joining the BBC. He talks about the Fast Diet, reveals the most terrifying experiment he's undertaken, and why he's now investigating life before birth.In the week that the Queen becomes Britain's longest-serving monarch, listener Steve Evans talks about his experiences as this month he becomes the longest serving Paramedic in the North West.Shelby Holmes' family run a travelling family fair. Despite missing a lot of school when she was growing up she has just graduated from Oxford University. Shelby discusses her experiences and future plans.Ann Davidson a retired nurse living near Bodrum in Turkey talks about helping Syrian refugees.JP Devlin ventures to the bottom of author Cressida Cowell's garden to see if there are dragons in her shed.Marin Alsop, the conductor for this year's Last Night of the Proms, shares her Inheritance Tracks.Critic and author Adam Mars-Jones talks about the relationship with his father Sir William Mars-Jones, a free thinking, maverick high court judge, who was involved in some of the most famous criminal cases of the 20th century.Michael Mosley's Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You is a three part series which begins on Monday, 14th September, at 9pm on BBC 2.Cressida Cowell's How to Fight a Dragon's Fury is out now.Marin Alsop's tracks are Piano Quartet by Robert Schumann and Victory Stride by James P. Johnson.Kid Gloves, a Voyage Around My Father by Adam Mars-Jones is out now.

9/12/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are charmed by Nigel Havers. He shot to fame as Lord Lindsay in the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire, and is best known for playing charmers, cads and conmen from Coronation Street to Downton Abbey. He describes how he transformed himself into Mick Jagger, and why he's returned to the role of Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest.A Saturday Live listener got in touch to tell us about a singing sensation from the 1930s. JP Devlin meets 98 year old Helen Clare to hear about her remarkable career.While commuting the length of the Northern Line Amy Dicketts noticed no one ever talked to strangers. She decided to change this and now chronicles the stories of her fellow passengers.Piano player Davis Rogan, talks about his life in New Orleans, involvement with the US TV series Treme, working as piano coach with Brad Pitt and his first visit to London for the Notting Hill Carnival.DJ Edith Bowman chooses her Inheritance Tracks: - Blackbird by The Beatles and Slow Show by The National.Produced by Louise CorleyEdited by Karen Dalziel.

8/29/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Long before the actor Larry Lamb achieved notoriety as the evil Archie Mitchell in EastEnders or twinkly Micky Shipman in Gavin & Stacey he'd lived a life dramatic enough to be made into a TV hit of its own. A working class London boy with a troubled dad and a much loved mum Larry blundered into acting more by chance than design. In his early years he filleted fish and worked as an encyclopedia salesman and later as an oil engineer in Libya and Canada. It was there he really discovered his passion for acting and went on to play opposite major stars - Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave and Lauren Bacall among them. He's taken tea at Buckingham Palace and hung out in George Harrison's kitchen. Despite such successes Larry has always been a restless soul. Now, however, he says he's finally grown up.Katherine Mills is a magician and mentalist. Combining psychology and sociology with her love of trickery and magic, Katherine crosses the line between the possible and the truly amazing. She is one of only 100 women members in the Magic Circle out of 1,500 total members. Joy Ballard is head teacher of Willows School in Cardiff which features in a new series of the Educating Cardiff. Joy left school at 16 without any qualifications and didn't go back into education until she was 26. She has been a head teacher since 2007 and this year won the national Pearson Head Teacher Award. Educating Cardiff begins on Channel 4 on 25th August.Listener John Dalby wrote to say he'd led a full and interesting life over the past 67 years. Twenty plus years at sea, he was the first commercial "pirate hunter" and is now engaged in airborne reconnaissance and surveillance.This week's Inheritance Tracks are from the poet Simon Armitage. Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

8/22/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

The prolific podcaster, comedian, writer and blogger Richard Herring joins Kate Silverton and Richard Coles to tell them why, after an unbroken run of performing a different stand-up show at the Edinburgh festival for the last eleven years, he's not going this year. Instead, he's re-enacting all his festival shows, plus creating a twelfth brand new one, in London.Former soldier Hannah Campbell was the first British mother wounded in Iraq in 2007. After years of surgery she decided to have her leg amputated and in her words, hasn't looked back since. She describes the mental and physical transformation she has been through since the attack and why she is now happier than ever.Listener Jonathan Lovett runs 'Tales of the Plague', a walking tour of London with his partner Mary Ann. He tells us about the three-day festival coming up (4th-6th September) to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of the Great Plague whilst dressed as a plague doctor and accompanied by his fake pet rat Robert.Noel Smith spent most of his adult life in prison. After the death of his son in 2001, he was inspired to turn his life around. Having already taught himself to read and write while in solitary confinement, he has gone on to have four books published. Noel now spends his time as the commissioning editor of 'Inside Time' newspaper and giving talks to young offenders.Conchita Wurst, Austrian pop star and drag queen who came to international attention for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 shares her Inheritance Tracks. She chooses 'Goldfinger' by Shirley Bassey and 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' by Paloma Faith.Plus listener Emma Clayton tells us about her Saturday's spent volunteering at her local Repair Cafe.Produced by Pete RossEdited by Alex Lewis.

8/15/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Simon Webbe is currently playing the part of the Big Bad Wolf in the Three Little Pigs but is perhaps best known for being a quarter of the boy band Blue. Simon made his theatre debut in Sister Act at the London Palladium and has also been a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Simon tells Kate Silverton and Richard Coles about learning discipline and his hopes for breaking Hollywood. Simon is at the Palace Theatre, Cambridge Circus, London until the 6th September Annie Humphries is a loyal Saturday Live listener who emailed us with her story. Annie was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2006 and in 2009 had her larynx surgically removed. But that didn't stop Annie. She's a member of a Choir of Laryngectomies conducted by Dr Thomas Moors at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. Liz Cowley is known as the Gardening Poet. Now approaching her seventieth year she talks about a love of gardening in her slippers and being published late in life. Her book Gardening in Slippers, Poems for Garden Lovers is published by Gibson Square Books August 2015Mathew Clayton is the author of Lundy, Rockall, Dogger, Fair Isle - a romp around the islands of Great Britain. Mathew's love of island life came from his Grandparents who met while working for the monks on Caldey Island off South Wales. Published by Ebury PressAs usual JP Devlin will be in the studio making mischief and looking forward to hearing your stories. Comedian Bridget Christie inherited Have you Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival from her late mother and passes on the theme from Steptoe and Son to her children.Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Fiona Couper.

8/8/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

Suzy Klein and Kate Silverton present this week's Saturday Live.He's a stand up comedian who has done musicals, panto, hosted game shows, is a panelist on Just a minute, who won Celebrity big brother, came third on Strictly and has written 3 adult novels. Now Julian Clary has turned his hand to children's fiction. He joins us to talk about his varied career.Listener Jackie Winter got in touch with us about her experience clocking up more than 100,000 miles over her 40 years as a tandem rider. And all that despite not being able to ride a pedal cycle! She joins us to tell us about her life as a 'stoker'.Sean Myatt is a puppeteer and academic who teaches puppetry at Nottingham Trent University. He will join us to talk about object theatre, scenography, being a puppet captain at the Olympics opening ceremony and working with Kate Bush.Peter Marren is a butterfly obsessive. A repentant child collector and lifelong fan, he muses on our relationship with this most beautiful of insects. How have they been regarded over the years? And why are they so important to us?Fresh from her win on Celebrity Masterchef, ex puss*cat Doll Kimberly Wyatt talks about another passion in her life - her dogs. Having a rescue dog herself, she visits Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to see what life is like for rescued animals.We hear the inheritance tracks of interior designer Kelly Hoppen who chooses Aretha Franklin's Say a Little Prayer and I feel Good by James Brown.Julian Clary's book is The BoldsPeter Marren's book is Rainbow Dust, Three Centuries of Delight in British Butterfliesboth are out now.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

8/1/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Comedian and writer Jenny Eclair talks about her latest novel Moving, which taps into her obsession with motherhood and family secrets; whilst taking Jenny back to memories of being a life model and drama student in Manchester.Alan Gardner has won awards for his work and he's now starring in TV series The Autistic Gardener. Alan talks about making the show, his passion for plants and recent Asperger syndrome diagnosis.JP Devlin visits the Marie Curie hospice in Solihull to talk to the terminally ill in-patients and day visitors.Listener Moira got in touch because she would like to be reunited with her childhood doll's house. She talks about why the house and its contents have such significance.Christopher Green is an award-winning writer and performer. He was the first Artist in Residence at the British Library and his comic creations include US country music singer Tina C. Christopher talks about his alter egos and his interest in Hypnosis.Choreographer Matthew Bourne shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Julie Andrews singing The Sound of Music and Night and Day, sung by Ella Fitzgerald.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/25/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

The tenor Alfie Boe joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein to talk about his latest project with Pete Townhend's Classic Quadrophenia, and going to Broadway to star as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.Azi Ahmed grew up in a devout Pakistani family in Manchester and set off for Central Saint Martins in London. Leading a double life she set up an internet company and then, with no military experience, entered Chelsea Barracks for selection training hoping to become part of the SAS.Felicity Finch meets the World's Oldest Siblings. The Tweeds of Coventry are 12 siblings with a combined age of almost 1,020.Sylvia Holder on why in her 77th year she swapped retirement on the Sussex coast for a school in one of India's poorest districts.Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff talks about his obsession with keeping diaries and memorabilia.And, as The Proms season starts, Katie Derham shares her Inheritance Tracks. Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Fire and Rain by James Taylor.Pete Townhend's Classic Quadrophenia is available now on the Deutsche Grammophon label.Worlds Apart - A Muslim Girl with the SAS, by Azi Ahmed.The Wonder Stuff Diaries '86-'89 by Miles Hunt is out now, and further instalments are being published.Produced by Louise Corley.

7/18/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by comedian Phill Jupitus. Having carved out a career in stand up, he was the voice that launched BBC 6 Music, spending 5 years presenting Breakfast. He is a regular on a multitude of TV and radio panel shows and was a team captain on Never Mind the Buzzco*cks for 18 years. He starred in the West End musical Hairspray and more recently toured with the Mel Brooks' musical The Producers.Sue Lawrence is a food writer and one of the very first Masterchef winners. After several successful books about Scottish cooking she has just written her very first novel about family secrets - after uncovering a few of her own.Cassandro is one of the stars of Lucha Libre a highly choreographed form of Mexican wrestling. A drag queen in a world of machista's, we talk to him about rejection, addiction, salvation and the cultural impact of Lucha Libre.Amanda Shipman is a Saturday Live listener who has designed a garden for her mum who has dementia. She was inspired after she noticed the way her mum still engaged with the flowers and bees in her garden. Amanda's design has just been accepted into Hampton Court Flower Show in 2016.We also have the Inheritance Tracks of Irish folk singer Mary Black and the moment Jim Naughtie was reunited with a book he won in a school essay competition which had ended up in the possession of Radio 4 listener Peter Gray.*Phill Jupitus will be starring in THREE different productions a day for the duration of the Edinburgh Festival which runs form 7th to 31st August.*'Fields of blue flax' by Sue Lawrence is published by Freight books*Cassandro stars in 'The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre' which is taking place at York Hall, Hackney, London between 9-11th July.*Mary Black choses Ewan McColl's 'School days over' and Bob Dylan singing 'Forever Young' as her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/11/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Writer and actress Sally Phillips first appeared regularly on our screens in female comedy series Smack the Pony. Roles in Alan Partridge and Bridget Jones soon followed and since then she's carved out a niche as one of the UK's top comedy actors - appearing in Rescue Me, Parents, Skins and Jam and Jerusalem in the UK and Green Wing, Veep and Parents across the pond. On Radio 4 she's Claire in the Community, she's popularised the phrase "bear with..." as posh girl Tilly in TV sitcom Miranda and wrote film The Decoy Bride starring David Tennant. She joins us fresh from wrapping on Austen/ Zombie mash up: 'Pride, Prejudice and Zombies'.Colin Furze lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire where he was born. A former plumber, he now works as an inventor creating weird and wonderful inventions such as a flamethrower scooter and the world's fastest mobility scooter, for which he set a new world record.Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich met twelve years ago in an Italian restaurant in Israel. They moved to the UK and worked at Oxo Tower, J Sheekey and Ottolenghi, before setting up their own restaurant, Honey & Co, serving their version of middle eastern food.Toby Jones is the author of three novels and three works of non fiction including 'The Dark Heart of Italy'. Six years ago he and his wife decided to start an experiment in communal living in Somerset. They bought a house in Windsor Hill Wood, and set about finding guests to create what has become a successful and well known refuge for those needing respite from their ordinary lives.Ex Jackson 5 member and guitarist Tito Jackson chooses his inheritance tracks. He inheritedPapa's Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown and would pass on Thank You by Sly & The Family Stone.Two listeners who were caught up in the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005 say special thank yous to two guardian angels.And Charles Collingwood aka Brian from The Archers tells us about his Saturday passion for cricket.Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich's The Baking BookandA Place of Refuge by Tobias Jonesare out now.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

7/4/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

With Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Boris Becker is the only person to have won two Wimbledon titles by the time he was 18. He talks about tennis, his love of Wimbledon, a place he now calls home, and life away from the courts.Lorna Luft discusses her life and relationship with her mother, Judy Garland. Whilst Lorna loves entertaining audiences onstage she reveals there's one song she won't be singing.The Katanas are 19-year-old identical twins called Millie and Hope. At 14 they played twins in the BBC drama Waterloo Road. They're currently putting an album together.Explorer Benedict Allen shares his Inheritance Tracks: the theme tune to the 1964 TV series The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Four Strong Winds sung by Neil Young.Samer Nashef is a heart surgeon who is also a pioneer in developing ways to measure the risk of operations. Samer's other passion is crosswords and he's compiled a quiz for Saturday Live, with thanks to Arachne and Rufus for some of the "classic" clues".Boris Becker's Wimbledon is out now.The Naked Surgeon by Samer Nashef is out now.Lorna Luft is currently in the UK performing The Songbook of Judy GarlandProducer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

6/30/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

The comedian and travel writer, Dom Joly, joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. Best known as the star of Trigger Happy TV, he has written a number of books including The Dark Tourist for which he visited some of the world's most unlikely destinations such as Chernobyl and North Korea.Julia Miles spent 28 years as the wife of a diplomat, living in Libya, Saudi Arabia and Athens, has worked as a social worker, a probation officer and is now a psychotherapist. She reveals the realities of life as ambassador's wife, ranging from food shortages to terrorist incidents.Saturday Live listener, David Ainsley, shares the story of his the best Father's Day gift he ever received.JP Devlin meets Peter Firmin, creator of the sets and puppets for The Clangers, Bagpuss and Basil Brush.At the age of 30, armed with a cannon, Gary Stocker took a break from a lucrative career in law for a shot at fame as a human cannon ball - performing as The Great Herrmann.The actor and presenter Bradley Walsh shares his Inheritance Tracks: Stranger in Paradise by Tony Bennett and The Hungry Years by Neil Sedaka.Viv Albertine is best known as the guitarist for the all-female English punk group The Slits. After the band broke up in 1981 Viv left music behind to become an aerobics instructor, a mother and housewife, and an artist. She returned to music in middle age, picking up her guitar for the first time in 25 years.Additional InformationHere Comes the Clown - A Stumble Through Showbusiness by Dom Joly.The Ambassador's Wife's Tales by Julia Miles.A new series of The Clangers is on CBeebies.Bradley Walsh stars in Sun Trap on BBC One on Wednesday nights at 10.35pm.Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, by Viv Albertine is in paperback.

6/20/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 38 seconds

Bestselling author of the Shopaholic series Sophie Kinsella has written her first book for young adults. She joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein on Saturday live to talk about her joy in writing for different audiences, having a film of her book made, and getting into the mind of a teenager.Listener Rob Cain emailed to tell Saturday Live about his volunteer work with 'Luthiers sans Frontiers -UK' (violinmaker's without borders ). He has just spent two weeks in Kabul, at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, repairing and teaching staff how to look after their instruments. Rob shares his experiences and talks about the impact of his work.Heath Bergersen is a didgeridoo player and actor who, as a 19 year old starred alongside Heath Ledger in a TV series. He's come over from Australia for the Origins festival, and joins us to talk about finding his aboriginal heritage through the didgeridoo.Charita Jones came to fame through Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, which featured her Brighton restaurant, Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack. After huge success, she closed the restaurant and returned to fulltime foster caring with her librarian husband Phil. They have two children and she's fostered in excess of 30 others. She joins us to talk food and fostering.Actress Pauline McLynn is best known for her roles as Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless, and Yvonne Cotton in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She joins JP to talk about her passion for knitting.Entrepreneur and businesswoman Michelle Mone chooses her inheritance tracks. She chooses Because you loved me by Celine Dion and Haven't Met you yet by Michael Bublé.And Nicholas Parsons says thank you to an unknown valet.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen DalzielFinding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella is out nowThe Origins Festival runs until the 25 June at various London venuesMy Fight to the Top by Michele Mone is out now.

6/13/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by the American stand-up comic Reginald D Hunter. He talks about growing up in America's Deep South, only being the fourth funniest in his family and how, although having lived in the UK for 17 years, he still gets caught out by our 'common' language.Andre Anderson comes from an estate in North West London with a reputation for gang violence and crime. He tells us about 'Authors of the Estate' - a project to encourage others to find their voice in the pen, rather than the knife or gun.Juliet Russell is a singer, composer and vocal coach (including for BBC1's The Voice), working with artists from Damon Albarn to Paloma Faith. She talks to us about vocal bad habits and how singing is good for people with dementia.Jake McGowan-Lowe is a bone collector and naturalist. He been collecting bones since he was 6. At 13 he's just been nominated as one of the most important conservation heroes in Britain. 40 years ago listener Douglas McGowan bought the Waverley paddle steamer for £1. He tells us about the impact that has had on the rest of his life.Actor and musician Hugh Laurie chooses his Inheritance Tracks - 'Tumbling Dice' by the Rolling Stones and 'Cantaloupe' by Herbie Hanco*ck.Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel**Tomorrowland starring Hugh Laurie and George Clooney is out in cinemas now.**Reginald D Hunter's tour continues at venues across the country throughout June.**Authors of the Estate By Andre Anderson et al is available to buy online.**Juliet Russell's album is called 'Earth Meets Sky'.**Jake's Bones by Jake McGowan-Lowe is available from all good bookshops.

6/6/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

The journalist and novelist, Tony Parsons, joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Tony was working on the night shift at Gordon's Gin Distillery when he was offered his first job as a journalist on the New Musical Express. When he wasn't hanging out with rock stars he was embedded with the Vice Squad at 27 Savile Row, West End Central, where the roots of his crime character, DC Max Wolfe, first began.Saturday Live listener, Hilary Nicoll, talks about The Museum of Dad. Featuring a music case, a trombone, old jazz 78s, and a chair made of steel tube and leather, it's a blog in remembrance of her architect father, who is now living in a nursing home with Alzheimer's.Ex-Blue Peter presenter, Janet Ellis, has long been fascinated by the lives of people who were here before us, so much so that she has developed a life-long passion for looking around graveyards. She visits the cemetery at St Nicholas' Church in Chiswick, with Dan Parker. Janet describes Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas, as a possible epitaph.Sarah Woods describes her travels to Central and South America in an eight year quest to see the Harpy Eagle in the wild. She explains why helping a teenage girl in labour, and seeing the Harpy Eagle up close, were life-changing experiences.Jonathan Moore is an ex-punk who became an opera director. Art and spirituality are his vocation - as shown in his current play about Ignatius of Loyola.And the Inheritance Tracks of Dom Joly. He chooses America by Simon and Garfunkel and In a Room by The House of Love.The Slaughter Man by Tony Parsons is published by Century.On a Wing and a Prayer, by Sarah Woods, is published by Bloomsbury.Janet Ellis' first novel, The Butcher's Hook, is scheduled for publication in February 2016.Inigo, written and directed by Jonathan Moore, runs at the Pleasance in north London until 13 June, 2015.The exhibition Peter Wilkins - Great British Music from the 1960s - 2010s, is at Dray Walk Gallery, London E1 6QL until 1 June, 2015.

5/30/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

With Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Jon Culshaw talks about making a career out of impressions, with a repertoire of over 350 voices including John Major, Simon Cowell, Ed Miliband and Patrick Moore. Jon also talks about wanting to take on more serious roles, his fascination with astronomy and love of old cars.Jack Andraka is a pioneering teenage scientist who discovered a way to detect some forms of cancer in their early stages. Now eighteen, he talks about his work, which was initially inspired by the death of a close family friend, and dealing with depression and hom*ophobic bullying.Polish personal trainer Jonas Zimnickas shares his 'My Saturday'.Ninety-three year old listener Heather Beagley remembers the excitement of being on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary liner in 1936, which travelled from Southampton to New York when she was fourteen.Writer, Director and Choreographer Rajeev Goswami talks about bringing his musical Beyond Bollywood from Mumbai to London's West End.Hotelier and presenter Alex Polizzi shares her Inheritance Tracks: Brindisi from La Traviata and Nina Simone's I Put a Spell on You.Jon Culshaw voices celebrity puppets in Newzoids, available to watch on the ITV Player.Jack Andraka's memoir Breakthrough is out now.Beyond Bollywood is at the Palladium in London until the 27th June.Producer: Claire BartleetEditor: Karen Dalziel.

5/23/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 29 seconds

Presented by Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Chris Tarrant has been a household staple since the mid 70s when he shook up Saturday mornings with children's TV series Tiswas. He went on to do Capital Radio breakfast show and was the presenter of ground breaking quiz show Who wants to be a Millionaire, which ran for 15 years, presenting many other programmes along the way. His latest project has been a labour of love - a book about his father's experience in the second world war. But it's a story he only uncovered after his father's death. He'll be talking about writing his father's story, his links with those Millionaire winners and slowing down after a stroke.Listener Glenys Newton won a story telling competition with a story from her childhood, in which her Uncle Meirion's car - with her family inside - was attacked by lions at a Safari Park. She's passionate about family stories, and people's lives. She relives what happened at the Safari park, and how it has inspired her love of storytelling.Dino Martins is an entomologist whose mission is to highlight the key role of pollination in the world. Growing up in rural Kenya his passion was insects from a young age. This enthusiasm, combined with hard work and some luck meant he got an education which culminated with a PhD at Harvard University in America. Over in the UK to receive the 2015 Whitley Gold Award from Princess Anne, he talks about his extraordinary journey which begins and ends in Kenya.Iain Lauchlan has spent 40 years in the TV industry, specialising in pre school television programmes. He presented Playschool, Fingermouse, 'invented' the Tweenies, has numerous producing and writing credits to his name, and for 25 years has played the the pantomime Dame in Coventry, where he also writes the pantomime. He's loaned pieces to a new exhibition about Children's Television in Coventry and joins us to talk about his life in Children's TV.Songwriter Guy Chambers is probably best known for his work with Robbie Williams, with whom he co-wrote hits such as "Rock DJ", "Feel", "Millennium", "Let Me Entertain You", and "Angels". Guy has previously won 3 Ivor Novello awards, and is a member of the committee judging the awards this year. For his inheritance tracks, he chooses The Beatles, Tomorrow Never Knows and Ravel's Concerto for piano and orchestra in G major, second movement.Daniel Parker is a film make up artist, following in the footsteps of his father. His credits include Troy, Apocalypto and Frankenstein, for which he received an Oscar and British Film Award nominations. Among his recent projects are Cloud Atlas, Zero Dark 30, Everly, The Coup and Unlocked. He shares his experiences.Dad's War by Chris Tarrant is published by Virgin books.The Story of Children's Television is at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry from 22 May to 13 September 2015.Producer: Corinna JonesEditor: Karen Dalziel.

5/16/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Presented by Richard Coles and Suzy Klein.DJ and veteran festival-goer Edith Bowman on her love for the sonic boom of Green Man and Glastonbury. For the past twenty years Edith's taken in two or three festivals a year - and after attending more than 80 of them, seeing 1,500 bands and having two children she explains why her passion is as great as ever.Grammy award winning jazz singer Gregory Porter describes how his mother inspired his move of careers, and the music that stirs his soul.Camping fan Phoebe Smith reveals what defines a truly wild night out - and why she decided to set herself the Extreme Sleeps Challenge - from Ben Nevis to the "Middle of Nowhere." And travelling to The National Quiet Zone - photographer Emile Holba on what a world without mobile phones really sounds like.JP Devlin meets Dr. Sandy Saunders one of the last survivors of Archibald McIndoe's Guinea Pig Club.And 'Queen of Shops', Mary Portas shares her Inheritance Tracks: Into the Mystic by Van Morrison and Crazy on the Weekend by Sunhouse.Great British Musical Festivals by Edith Bowman is published by Blink.Wild Nights - Camping Britain's Extremes by Phoebe Smith, published by Summersdale.Sandy Saunders and the survivors of the Guinea Pig Club were given a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Soldiering on Through Life Trust.Welcome to the Quiet Zone - a five part series starting on Radio 4 on Monday 18 May.A deluxe edition of Liquid Spirit includes an additional 4 tracks of collaborations and covers and a brand new remix, featuring Jamie Cullum, Ben L'Oncle Soul and Laura Mvula.Shop Girl A Memoir by Mary Portas, is published by Doubleday.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

5/9/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 34 seconds

Clinical psychologist and broadcaster Professor Tanya Byron joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to talk tales of the clinic, how a family tragedy sparked her interest in psychology and destigmatising vulnerable people.Becoming unexpectedly jobless in 2012 prompted Michelle Thomas to start paying people to tell her their stories. The response was so amazing she's now crowd-funding a book which will feature some of stories.This week marks 70 years since the end of the second world war in Europe. Listener Liesbeth Langford got in touch to share her family's story of growing up in occupied Netherlands and sheltering a young Jewish woman.Professor Greg Whyte is the man behind David Walliams successful channel swim attempt, Davina McCall's challenge to run, swim and cycle from Edinburgh to London in seven days and the person that inspired Dermot O'Leary to dance for 24 hours non-stop all for Comic Relief. As a former Olympic Modern Pentathlete he tells us his secret to motivating others.Violinist Nigel Kennedy shares his inheritance tracks and we speak to some of the very patient died-hard fans who've been waiting and waiting for the second royal baby to make an appearance.Inheritance Track choices: 'Hymn to Him' from Apocalypse by the Mahavishnu Orchestra and 'Limehouse Blues' performed by Stephane Grappelli.'The Skeleton Cupboard' by Professor Tanya Byron is published by Pan.'Salt Beef Jack and Other Londoners' by Michelle Thomas is currently being crowdfunded by Unbound.'Written by Candlelight' by Liesbeth Langford is the story of her family's experience of the war.'Achieve the impossible' by Professor Greg Whyte is published by Bantam Press.Produced by: Alex LewisEdited by: Karen Dalziel.

5/2/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

In the studio with Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles this week is Conchita Wurst winner of Eurovision 2014. Conchita hails from Columbia and is the alter ego of Tom Neuwirth who was born in Austria. When she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 with her song "Rise Like A Phoenix" she gained international fame - and also became a gay icon to the LGBT community all over the world. Conchita is a Drag Queen - not transgender.Jo Pavey has proved it's never too late to realise your dreams. The veteran mother of two shocked everyone, herself included, to become the oldest female European champion in history aged 40 years and 325 days. Jo has competed in four Olympics and won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and then gold in the European Championships. She is currently focusing on getting to Rio for her fifth Olympics.Jon Frost is an experienced customs officer. In his time as a uniformed officer Jon seized many weird and wonderful things: presidential aircraft, a working tank, cars, lorries, boats and coffins; and uncovered wild animals, killer snakes, bush meat, poisonous vodka, dodgy medicine, bootleg prescriptions, pirated pills, toxic alcohol, firearms, side-arms, swords, explosives, stolen gold, dirty money. Jon's book Anything to Declare is out nowCarrie Hope Fletcher is currently playing the role of Eponine in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre in the West End and received the 2014 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Takeover in a Role in recognition of her performance.Through her phenomenally popular YouTube channel, ItsWayPastMyBedtime, Carrie has created a safe and positive space for young people to discuss their hopes and concerns online and now she will share her most personal thoughts and experiences in her first book. Part memoir, part advice guide, All I Know Now includes Carrie's thoughts on some of the topics she's asked about regularly: bullying, body image, relationships and perhaps the scariest question of all: what does the future hold for me? This week the Inheritance Tracks comes from the creator of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith. He has chosen to inherit We'll Meet Again sung by Vera Lynn and handing on Terzettino 'Soave sia il vento' from Cosi Fan Tutte'Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

4/25/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

The comedian, writer and presenter Paul Merton joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.A regular fixture on our radios and TVs - from Just a Minute to Have I Got News For You? But it's pure improvisation that he loves - starting with the Comedy Store Players back in 1985, a gig that he still does every Sunday. And he's about to start a UK tour improvising with a group of friends.Vanessa Mann on deltiology with a difference - why she buys sets of postcards, with the aim to trace living relatives of the people who wrote and received them.JP Devlin meets Pete Waterman to talk model railways.The sailor and broadcaster Paul Heiney on his voyage from Falmouth to Cape Horn and back, to rediscover his son's voice through the medium of sailing and the poem -'The Silence at the Song's End'.The i-magician Jamie Allan on how he who fuses sleight of hand with modern technology by bringing i-pads to his performance.And Anita Dobson shares her "Inheritance Tracks". She chooses: No One But You, by Billy Eckstine and Young at Heart by Frank Sinatra.Paul Merton's Impro Chums on a UK Tour from 24 April to 17 June 2015.One Wild Song: A Voyage in a lost son's wake' by Paul Heiney, published by Bloomsbury.Jamie Allan is currently on a UK tour until 31st May.On 28 April Anita Dobson will be appearing in a special production of Follies, at the Royal Albert Hall, to mark Stephen Sondheim's 85th birthday.

4/18/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Dame Zandra Rhodes is one of Britain's best-known fashion designers, putting London at the forefront of the international fashion scene in the 1970s. Her extensive list of clients has included Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury. Rhodes now lives with her partner, the 94 year old film producer Salah Hassanein and former head of Warner Bros. In 2003 Zandra founded The Fashion and Textile Museum, the only museum in the UK solely dedicated to showcasing developments in contemporary fashion, as well as providing inspiration, support and training for those working in the industry. Since 2000 Zandra's career has diversified into designing sets and costumes for the opera. She first worked for San Diego Opera, who invited her to do costumes for The Magic Flute. After The Magic Flute, she was asked to design both sets and costumes for Pittsburgh Bizet's Pearl Fishers in 2004. Still the woman with the pink hair, Zandra joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles in the studio.Also in the studio is Chilly Gonzales, a classically trained pianist from Montreal, Canada. He's a composer, and self-proclaimed musical genius who has co-authored musicals; pursued an alternative rock career; set a Guinness records for longest-ever solo piano performance; tried his hand at rapping, soft rock, and electronic music as a solo artist; and collaborated with Daft Punk, Bjork and rapper Drake. He has made a career out of bridging the gap between classical and pop music. He lives in Cologne, Germany and has just released his new album, Chambers. From music to mullets. Hairdresser extraordinaire Jon-Paul Holt gave Kevin Keegan his curly perm, helped launch what became Europe's biggest chain of hairdressing salons and even sang in a band that played at The Cavern in the '60s. After leaving Liverpool for Canada where he set up two salons, he was awarded North American Hairdresser of the year in 1996. He set up his Avant Garde Hair Studio, where he has looked after the hair of film stars such as Meg Ryan and rock star friends like Vancouver's own Bryan Adams.Mark co*ckram is a book binder and has bound books for seven Man-Booker prize award ceremonies. He was elected Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 2001 and Brother of the Art Workers Guild in 2008. Member of the Society of Bookbinders and the Tokyo Bookbinding Club. After studying art and design at Lincolnshire College of Art, Mark worked as a free lance artist and designer. He discovered his passion for bookbinding and book arts whilst working in Paris restoring Art Deco loos. Sharing his Inheritance Tracks this week is Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee, Tom Conti. He inherits the Scarlatti Sonata in G major played by Yuja Wang and is passing on Piangerò la sorte mia sung by coloratura soprano Simone Kermes (from Handel's Giulio Cesare) Tom Conti is currently reprising his role in acclaimed courtroom play Twelve Angry Men and is on tour from Monday 13th April beginning in York. Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

4/11/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

On the biggest gardening weekend of the year garden designer and tv presenter Diarmuid Gavin joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein to spill the beans on the highs and lows of taking part in the Chelsea Flower Show, the inspiration behind some of his wackier gardens and the excesses of his overnight propulsion to tv heart throb.Also, York based chocolatier Sophie Jewett will be teaching us how to #bbcgetcreative with chocolate and helping the studio guests decorate their very own Easter Eggs. Writer John-Paul Flintoff will be talking about The Family Project - a manual for people who want to discover their family story but don't know where to start. And then the extreme ornithologists who broke the world record for the number of species identified in a single calendar year. Ruth Miller and Alan Davies talk bush fires, a rescue from a sinking dinghy and an elephant charge. We ask was it worth it?All that with the Inheritance Tracks of Helena Bonham Carter and listener Dale Gibson on how he spends his Saturday's tending to his swarm of urban bees.Helena chooses 'Look Mummy, No Hands' by Fascinating Aida and 'Not While I'm Around' from the movie version of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.The Family Project: A Creative Handbook for Anyone Who Wants to Discover Their Family Story - but Doesn't Know Where To Start by Harriet Green and John-Paul Flintoff is published by Guardian Faber Publishing and available now.Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel.

4/4/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

The actor and singer, Jason Donovan, joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein. He talks about his life and a career that has seen him move from Neighbours' soapstar to chart pop idol, jungle survivor to Strictly finalist. In musical theatre he's starred as Joseph and Frank N Furter, and now plays Lionel Logue, the speech therapist to a stammering George VI, in a touring production of The King's Speech.The Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist Lynsey Addario on her life behind the camera.Saturday Live listener Penny Tomlinson describes how she coped with bereavement by joining the I Can't Sing Choir.The former royal harpist Claire Jones describes her struggle with ME Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the role music played in her recovery.Lloyd Buck is accompanied by his Starling, Arnie. For more than 20 years Lloyd and his wife Rose have been world experts of in-flight and tracking filming with birds. He explains his affinity with birds and why he imprints, rather than trains them.Lulu shares her Inheritance Tracks. She chooses Nighttime is the Right Time by Ray Charles and Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.The King's Speech is currently touring the UK, still to visit venues in Manchester, Woking, Sheffield, Belfast, Malvern, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Edinburgh, Leeds and Truro.It's What I Do - A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario, published by Corsair.The album, Journey: Harp to Soothe the Soul by Claire Jones, is out now.Lulu is celebrating her 50th year as a recording artist with a new album - Making Life Rhyme - to be released next month, followed by a UK tour in May.Produced by: Louise CorleyEdited by Alex Lewis.

3/28/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

Presenter and health expert, Dr Christian Jessen, joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.Well known for programmes such as ''Embarrassing Bodies' and 'Supersize Vs Superskinny', Dr Christian also works closely with health charities to educate people in health matters. Most important to him is to raise medical awareness amongst hard to reach groups.Actor Hugh Maynard, currently playing the role of John in the West End's Miss Saigon, has dealt with abandonment and rejection most of his life after being given up by his mother when just a few weeks old. He explains how this spurred him on to the successful career he now enjoys and why it is important to know where you come from.JP Devlin talks with Barbara Taylor Bradford about her collection of vintage bags.Jackie Hagan is a comedian whose trip to hospital with a sore toe back in 2013, ended with her having a leg amputated. The experience forced her to grow up and take control of her life something she now hopes to pass on through school workshop around the country.London based Imam, Mohammed al Hussaini tells us how he became a traditional Irish folk singer.Former soap star, Pam St Clement who played Pat Butcher in Eastenders shares her inheritance tracks, - Cast Diva by Maria Callas and Accentuate the Positive by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters.Dr Christian's Guide to Growing Up, published by Scholastic is available now.Hugh Maynard is currently appearing in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End. His debut album, 'Something Inside So Strong' is out on 25 March. Jackie Hagan is currently touring the UK with her show, 'Some People Have Too Many Legs'.The Cavendon Women by Barbara Taylor Bradford published by Harper Fiction is out 24th March.Pam St Clement's autobiography 'The End of an Earring' published by Headline, available now.Producer: Pete RossEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/21/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

The wildlife cameraman and presenter, Gordon Buchanan, joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.He's spent his life getting close to wild animals - following black bears in Minnesota, travelling to the remote Canadian Arctic to film wolves and coming face to face with a 1000 lb polar bear!Saturday Live listener, Chrissi Kelly, talks about Anosmia: the impact losing her smell has had on her life, the smells that she misses most and how she spends her Saturdays 'smell training'.JP Devlin hears stories from members of the public at Chapelfield Shopping Centre in Norwich.Noel Fitzpatrick is Professor of Orthopaedics and "The Supervet". He describes how growing up on a farm and being unable to save a lamb led to him becoming a vet, how he uses the latest technology to pioneer techniques to save or improve the lives of pets, and some of his handiwork, including building new paws for a cat called Oscar who had an unfortunate encounter with a combine harvester.The actor, Rafe Spall, shares his Inheritance Tracks - Cherry Coloured Funk by the Cocteau Twins & And So Is Love by Kate Bush.And Jerry Grayson talks about his life as the youngest helicopter pilot to serve in the Royal Navy's Search and Rescue force, and working flying in aerial action scenes for films such as Black Hawk Down and the James Bond movie A View to a Kill.Gordon Buchanan is appearing at the Royal Geographic Society on 17 March.The Supervet is on Channel 4 on Thursdays at 8pm.X + Y starring Rafe Spall is in cinemas now.Rescue Pilot - Cheating the Sea, by Jerry Grayson, is published by Bloomsbury.Producer: Louise CorleyEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/14/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 24 seconds

With Red Nose day fast approaching Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by tv presenter and property expert Kirstie Allsopp to talk taking part in the Comic Relief Danceathon, our enduring affection for tv property programmes and her problem dog Dandy.Just as well canine behaviourist Rob Alleyne is on hand. As well as being a dog trainer, Rob worked as an animal welfare officer for a local authority for 16 years and tried to start a fast snail breeding programme. He believes that there is no such thing as a problem dog, just problem owners.Billy Gibbons got in touch with Saturday Live to tell us about his home where everything (including him) is from the 1950's - apart from a handful of essentials. Formerly an Elvis impersonator, he now works at a care home for people who have dementia and learning disabilities.We have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Stewart Lee and a group of friends from Manningtree High School in Essex report on the growing trend for cross bred dogs for BBC News School Report.And we hear how Denise Bentley, a former City Foreign Exchange Trader, ended up running the Tower Hamlets Foodbank on behalf of the Trussell Trust. With the help of Comic Relief funding its unique hub model means it can offer more than just food, including benefits and housing advice.**Stewart's tracks are : 'Solitary Man' by Neil Diamond recorded live at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles for his album Hot August Night and 'Chicken Nuggets for me' by The Fish Police.**Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel.

3/7/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Radio DJ Scott Mills joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk about being a DJ and how he was the uncoolest kid in the playground. Recently Scott took part in Strictly Come Dancing where he was famously not very good.Mike Farley tried his hand at acting and stand-up comedy before a friend spotted that he looked a bit like Henry VIII and got him involved in re-enactments - and the rest is history. Eleven years later he's appeared as Henry VIII in schools, TV ad campaigns and at corporate events.Would you like to work with your dad? What if you were doing a job that required quite a bit of concentration - like flying a plane? Laura Eliot's dad had been a pilot before she was even born. She took up flying after university. One day she logged onto her rota and noticed that her co-pilot on a flight to Tenerife was none other than her dad.Charles Hill, formerly of the Met's specialist art and antiques squad, works now as a freelance sleuth, recovering stolen art - including one of the very few Vermeers in existence - and advising collectors on how to keep their collections intact.You may have noticed that we're quite nosey. We don't just want you to listen to Saturday Live - we want to know what you do with the rest of your Saturdays. We know that some of you are members of running clubs, some of you knit, sing, go to football matches - but what about learning a language? Brighton might not be the most obvious place to find a Welsh language class but there is one - and as it's St David's day tomorrow, we sent Pete Ross to find out why. Clun glun Hwre!Patrick Grant Savile Row designer and presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee, shares his Inheritance Tracks. He inherited Rolling Stones' 'Sympathy for The Devil' and is passing on 'Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin Box' by RadioheadProducer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

2/28/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Ruby Wax joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to talk about how she brings her knowledge of neuroscience, spiked with comedy, to her one woman show.David Reynolds explains how his grandfather's letters, and enthralling childhood stories of the Wild West, inspired him to embark on a road trip along Highway 83 from Canada to the Mexican border. He describes some of the local characters he met, the three different types of cowboys that still exist today and why he thinks Sacagawea should be on US bank notes.Pete Ross meets some of the visitors to the Dragon Café in Borough, London - the UK's first 'mental health café' and creative space.We hear why dancing science teacher Dr. Richard Spencer choreographs his college biology lessons to music, and how this has led to him becoming a top 10 finalist for the $1m (£650,000) Global Teaching Prize.The singer Ray Quinn chooses his Inheritance Tracks: My Special Angel by Malcolm Vaughan and Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.And Josh Carrott - aka 'The Korean Englishman' - tells us why he is on a mission to bring Korean culture to the UK through his YouTube Channel.Sane New World: Taming the Mind - runs at St James Theatre, London from 2-14 March 2015.Slow Road to Brownsville by David Reynolds is published by Greystone Books.'They Say Love' - the first single from Ray Quinn's new album - is released on Monday 23 February.

2/21/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

TV presenter Rachel Khoo and bestselling author of The Little Paris Kitchen joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk about her new personal cookbook. Kitchen Notebook sees Rachel move on from French cooking to give us a collection of recipes from her around the world travels.Alan Radbourne was about to graduate from University when he found a pound coin on the floor. He had a thought- could he could turn a quid into a salary after he graduated? Two days after his final exam he bought a bottle of washing up liquid and started a year-long challenge. He charged his mates to wash their dishes - every penny he made he re-invested and it snowballed from there. Exactly a year on he had made £20,000. They say you're never too old for love and Colin and Patricia Stevens agree. They were only five years old when they first met at primary school and for Colin, it was love at first sight. But the girl of his dreams moved away when she was fifteen years old and they lost touch. Over the years they thought about each other off and on. Occasionally they made contact. But, now in their seventies and approaching their first wedding anniversary they tell us about the rocky path of true love. The Dull Men's Club has more than 5,000 members who are passionate about everyday mundane things. Archie Workman kicks off a short season focusing on British eccentrics by telling us about his fascination with drain covers and why they're more interesting than we might think. And meet the swanky senior citizens & glamorous golden girls taking afternoon tea at the Posh Club. Natalie Merchant, the American singer-songwriter/musician and a former member of the band 10,000 Maniacs, shares her Inheritance tracks. She inherited The Games People Play by Petula Clark and is passing on her own song, Wonder.Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook. Michael Joseph Hardback 12th February 2015Natalie Merchant's latest, self-titled album is out now on Nonesuch Records. And this summer a 20th anniversary edition of her Tigerlily album will be released.Producer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen Dalziel.

2/14/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

The actress, script-writer and producer Ruth Jones joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. Known for her role as 'Nessa Jenkins' in the BBC's award-winning sitcom Gavin and Stacey, she's now back on our screens in the comedy drama series Stella.Trend forecaster James Wallman describes why we have more stuff than we could ever need. It's cluttering up our homes and making us feel 'stuffocated'. He explains why, rather than a buy a new watch or another pair of shoes, we should invest in shared experiences.Listener Polly Loxton wrote to Saturday Live about the value of a handwritten letter. She explains why they have been central in her own life.Anna Bailey accompanies Julian Lloyd Webber to a football match at Leyton Orient to find out how he spends his Saturday.A visit to his local launderette inspired Luke Jerram to create the 'Play Me, I'm Yours' project - in which he installed pianos in various locations in 46 cities across the world. An estimated six million people have played or listened to the Street Pianos. He describes how the project has led to marriages, a peaceful protest and the film of a homeless man playing which has gone 'viral'.Inheritance Tracks - the singer and actress Beverley Knight chooses: Touch the Hem of His Garment and A Change Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.Ruth Jones stars in Stella, Fridays, 9pm, Sky 1.Stuffocation by James Wallman, is published by Penguin.Beverley Knight stars in Memphis the Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London and has extended her run until July 2015.Julian Lloyd Webber makes his conducting debut with the album 'And The Bridge is Love', which comes out at the end of the month; and he'll also be touring with his wife the cellist Jia Tschin Lloyd Webber, where he'll be talking about his career.

2/7/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Omid Djalili, the British-Iranian stand-up comedian and actor, joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein to talk his relationship with Iran, comic sensitivities and that dive off the 10m board in Splash!.Also on the programme, a former international hostage and police negotiator Richard Mullender who now works advising business in 'engagement'. He tells us what makes him the Lewis Hamilton of expert listening. Tanya Mai Johnston came to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Babylift, the mercy mission flying orphans out of Vietnam during the 70's. She talks about the difficulties of growing up in Coleraine - in a place she now calls home. Every Saturday morning listener So-jin Holohan sets out to write a letter to one of her friends around the world. She takes her inspiration from the guests and listeners who appear on Saturday Live and after the show ends, shares her thoughts by putting old fashioned ink pen to paper. Alex Noble's friends accused him of shunning a stable career on a whim when he left his full time job in finance to become a zombie trainer. We find out what that involves.And Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo reveals his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses 'I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe' by Genesis and 'Perfect Skin' by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.Produced by Alex Lewis.Edited by Karen Dalziel.

1/31/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 48 seconds

"Restoration Man" and Amazing Spaces presenter George Clarke joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk about leaving school at sixteen without any qualifications and his passion for bringing buildings back to life. Find out how a present from his Granddad set him on the road to becoming an architect.Sherika Sherard quit University to get a job. But it took her almost a year to get work and in that time she busked around London to earn some money. Now the song she wrote 'Give Me A Job' has gone viral and touched the hearts of thousands.Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston Churchill. The wartime leader's funeral was the largest state funeral in world history up to that point, with representatives from 112 nations present, along with many thousands of people who had camped out overnight to pay their respects. Among them was a 21 year old David Savage, who 50 years on reflects on that bitter cold night and historic day.Chris Bates was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list for services as an unpaid Ambassador to the island of Tristan da Cunha.JP Devlin joins the crowds of well-wishers who attended the funeral of an RAF veteran who died without any family or friends.Actor Natascha McElhone picks her Inheritance TracksProducer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen DalzielInheritance Tracks"Jamming" by the reggae band Bob Marley & the Wailers from their 1977 album Exodus"Lean on Me" written and recorded by singer-songwriter Bill Withers from his 1972 album Still Bill.

1/24/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Olympic Gold medallist Sally Gunnell. Now an ambassador for Sport England, she discusses how she keeps fit, her role in her local community in Sussex and how her sons now outrun her!Saturday Live listener Alice Munro contacted the programme to tell us about the community in Wirksworth, Derbyshire and why it's a special place to live. Matt Barlow accepted her invitation to visit.Matthew Engel describes his three year journey exploring England afresh by visiting 39 counties and the capital, what he discovered about their individual natures and traditions, and why he's adopted the county of Herefordshire as his home.Vlogger and creator of Vsauce, Michael Stevens, shares his passion for knowledge and how he makes videos relating to various scientific topics for an online community with 8 million subscribers.We hear the wonderful story of Pamela Rose - who gave up acting in her twenties to work at Bletchley Park and returned to the stage in her 80s.Crime writer Peter May explains how his real-life teenage experience of playing in a band and running away from Glasgow for London has inspired his latest book. He describes that journey, how life in the Outer Hebrides led to his Lewis Trilogy and why he is an honorary member of The Chinese Crime Writers Association.And actor Julie Hesmondhalgh shares her Inheritance Tracks - The Joy of Living by Ewan MacColl and Reach by S Club.Engel's England: Thirty-nine Counties, One Capital and One Man', is published by Profile Books.Cucumber is on Channel 4 on Thursday at 9pm.The Bletchley Girls: War, Secrecy, Love and Loss by Tessa Dunlop is published by Hodder and Stoughton.Runway by Peter May is published by Quercus.Producer: Louise Corley.

1/17/2015 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 40 seconds

Artistic Director and acclaimed comedian, Viv Groskop joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein to talk about the 'caw' of stand-up comedy and what it's like making tea for famous authors at the Bath Literature Festival.Ten years ago Paul Sinton-Hewitt was fired and then had a bad fall when training for a half marathon which ruptured his stomach. Not knowing what to do with himself and determined not to give up running, he set up a club with the aim of running 5k at 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning. 13 people joined him on his first run. Today, more than 1 million people across the world are part of the phenomenon Paul created that day - it's called Parkrun and it's happening as we speak, in more than 500 parks across the world.Seventy seven year-old Jill Stidever has been teaching children with disabilities to swim for over 50 years. Three of her swimmers have gone on to be paralympians - including her daughter Jane who won five gold medals. In December Jill won the 2014 BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero award at the Sports Personality of the Year for her work in changing the perception of disabled sport.Interaction designer & aspiring astronaut Nelly Ben Hayoun works to bring the wonder of outer space into the comfort of the living room & creates chaos out of order.JP Devlin meets a group of pensioners in Gateshead who find that keeping hens helps stave off loneliness.Novelist, essayist, lyricist, and screenwriter Nick Hornby picks his Inheritance TracksProducer: Maire DevineEditor: Karen DalzielI Laughed, I Cried: How One Woman Took on Stand-Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life Paperback - Jun 2013 by Viv Groskop. Published by OrionInheritance Tracks:Ring of Fire written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore sung by Johnny Cash, 1963 album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash.(Do the) Mashed Potatoes recorded by James Brown with his band in 1959.

1/10/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 28 seconds

Chef, restaurateur and Masterchef judge Marcus Wareing joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.Actor, presenter and reality TV star Alison Hammond talks celebrity, 'Strictly' and allotments.We hear the extraordinary story of the woman who fell in love with her sperm donor. Aminah Hart's daughter was born two years ago following IVF using an anonymous donor, but she tracked down the donor and is now engaged to dad Scott Anderson.Michael Parker reveals how best to sell yourself. He shares lessons learnt from fifty years as an advertising exec and the two Olympic Games where he competed in the hurdles.JP Devlin meets Des O'Connor.And writer, director, actor and comedian John Waters picks his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Joe KentEditor: Alex Lewis'Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America' is published by FSG Macmillan'It's Not What You Say It's The Way You Say It' by Michael Parker is published by Vermilion'Laughter Lines' by Des O'Connor is published Panmacmillan.

1/3/2015 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Anton du Beke of Strictly Come Dancing joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein.Anton has been with Strictly from the beginning, having famously partnered Ann Widdecombe, Nancy Dell'Olio, and most recently Judy Murray. As he is about to go on tour with his dance partner, Erin Boag, he explains how he became involved in ballroom dancing and why his favourite dance is the Foxtrot.The poet Mr. Gee shares seasonal poems.The award winning broadcaster Stephanie Hirst, formerly Simon Hirst, describes her lifelong passion for radio, her musical influences, the events that have led her to change gender and live as a woman, and how her family have supported her.Vicki Brewer shares the story of her favourite Christmas present - a personalised board game from her daughter and son in law, in which the content was tailored to stories from the family's life.JP Devlin meets John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the iconic 1970s punk band The Sex Pistols. John talks frankly about Christmas, his childhood illness, trains and his relationship with his parents.Glyn Johns talks about his career as a sound engineer/producer with bands from The Rolling Stones and The Eagles to The Who and Led Zeppelin.And Grayson Perry shares his Inheritance Tracks: It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones and I'd Rather Ride Around With You by Reba McIntyre.Anton and Erin's new production That's Entertainment is on a nationwide tour from 22 January - 29 March 2015.Sound Man, by Glyn Johns, is published by Blue Rider Press.Anger is an Energy: My Life Uncensored by John LydonGrayson Perry: Who Are You? can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery until 15 March 2015.Produced by Louise Corley.

12/27/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Journalist Jon Snow joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to discuss 25 years of being the face of Channel 4 News.Also on the programme, Luke Simon was living in Thailand when the 2004 Tsunami struck. He lost his brother when the low lying island of Ko Phi Phi was subsumed by sea water. He tells us how life has moved on, about the power of sibling relationships and the charity he set up in his brother's name. The Oscar-winning song Let It Go (from the animated film Frozen) has captivated millions worldwide. It has already been translated into 41 foreign-language versions but not Welsh. 14 yr old Rebekah West set about righting that wrong. And in this season of goodwill we meet a man who was inspired to carry out one good deed a day for 2014. After losing a close family friend, Luke Cameron has spent the last year helping others which has inspired him to move away from a career in fashion to working for a charity.We also hear from some of the cast of RSC's 'The Christmas Truce' on the football coaching they received from Aston Villa's Sean Verity as they re-enact the infamous Christmas Day football match between the Allies and the Germans. Plus the inheritance tracks of Alan Johnson MP, a Christmas Cracker from Miranda Hart and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy gives us taster of her Christmas Poem.Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/20/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

The BBC's Formula 1 presenter, Suzi Perry, joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to discuss life on the road, her passion for speed, her rock and roll childhood and time spent working backstage at her local theatre.Ben Collins, ex-"The Stig" from the BBC's Top Gear, takes Richard on a circuit of Rockingham Racetrack.With more than 30 years' experience Mark Thompson shares his passion for "amateur astronomy", gives simple steps on how you can get started without spending a fortune and explains what is happening with The Geminid meteor shower this weekend.Hermen, an outreach worker for The Connection at St. Martin's, supported by the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal, recalls his time living on the street.Robin Ollington describes how his suggestion led to Buckingham Palace displaying a welcoming Christmas Tree.Katie Rogers shares her story of how, as a city executive, she followed her childhood passion to run away to become a circus ringmaster.And actress Wendi Peters chooses her Inheritance Tracks - I Won't Last A Day Without You by Carpenters, and Hello Dolly by Barbra Streisand.Stargazing - The Essential Guide to Astronomy, by Mark Thompson, is published by Philips.Wendi Peters is appearing as Martha in White Christmas at London's Dominion Theatre.The Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin in-the-Fields. This is the 88th Appeal for St. Martin's work to support homeless and vulnerable people across the UK. You can give to the Christmas Appeal online by going to the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal website.Produced by Louise Corley.

12/13/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

The choreographer Matthew Bourne and X Factor 2013 winner Sam Bailey join Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles.We meet the friends of Malala Yousafzai who were shot by the Taliban in Pakistan two years ago and are now studying in rural Wales. They will be reunited with Malala this week as she receives the Nobel Peace Prize.Tim Wootton was told he wouldn't live long enough to finish school because of a genetic disease. Now in his 40s he explains what impact that's had on his outlook on life, and what others can learn from him.Listener James Showers also shares lessons from his life, a life spent constantly re-inventing himself; head hunter, carpenter, rain forest resident, hermit, and now undertaker.Plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of Michael Morpurgo.Matthew Bourne's production of 'Edward Scissorhands' is on until January 11th at Sadler's Wells.Sam Bailey's autobiography 'Daring to Dream' is published by Blink Publishing.Producer: Joe KentEditor: Karen Dalziel.

12/6/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

In a special programme for Saturday Live's Listener Week, wildlife presenter Steve Backshall joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk intricate animal communities, how he earned his nickname 'manure boy' and whether his sequined onesie is to be retired forever.Also with us are listener Simon Digby who got in touch about a series of stories about things he got up to when he was young that he never told his mother. David Heydecker told us that he usually spends his Saturday mornings listening to Saturday Live whilst elbow deep in bread dough. This week he's sharing with us the fruits of his labour and also how his community benefits. Martin Greenough also wrote to us about how his Saturday mornings, evangelising about his local ParkRun meet. We sent reporter Geoff Bird off to see if he would be similarly inspired.JP Devlin has been to visit the extraordinary Pembrokeshire community of Llangwm who have come together to create and perform an opera to celebrate the centenary of WW1. As a military wife Cat Williams has lived in countless different communities and countries. As well as being a listener she is also a trained counsellor.Su Chard is an independent celebrant who is passionate about encouraging fellow listeners to pass down family stories to get the send-off you want. We also have an Inheritance Tracks from listener Ailsa Harris. She chooses Que sera sera by Doris Day and Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder.Deadly Pole to Pole with Steve Backshall returns to your screens Saturday on BBC 2 between 10-11am.Producer: Alex LewEditor: Karen Dalzie.

11/29/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by vocal coach, singer and television presenter, Carrie Grant.Best known for her role as the vocal coach on the hit talent show, Fame Academy, she has also worked on Pop Idol and The One Show, where she conducted 500 viewers in the life-affirming "virtual choir".Rebecca Root explains how she helps transsexual and transgendered people, like herself, to discover their voice.The first photographer to capture on film the incomparable Kate Bush - we hear from her brother John Carder Bush on how he rescued the negatives from a skip to make a collection of photographs.JP Devlin visits a tattoo convention in Bournemouth.Jockie Reid reveals why he has taken up motorcycling at the age of eighty one.The palaeobiologist, Dr. Victoria Herridge, on her passion for Ice Age mammals and the trip of a lifetime - to take part in an autopsy of a 40,000 year old woolly mammoth.And the writer, Jung Chang, chooses her Inheritance Tracks: God Bless the Child, by Billie Holliday and The Sweetest Embrace by Barry Adamson.**Please send us your questions for wildlife presenter and recent Strictly contestant Steve Backshall for next week's programme via: [emailprotected]**Cathy, by John Carder Bush.Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang.Woolly Mammoth: The Autopsy - on Channel 4 on Sunday 23 November at 8pm.

11/22/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 24 seconds

Ade Adepitan - the Paralympian, actor and TV presenter - joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. As does magician Megan Knowles-Bacon, the first ever female secretary of the Magic Circle, and ghost-writer of resignation letters Matt Potter.JP Devlin wants your stories of resignations, sackings and grand exits (email [emailprotected]).BBC Radio 1 presenter Gemma Cairney goes chess boxing.And Dexter Fletcher selects his Inheritance Tracks - 'Round Midnight' by Dexter Gordon and 'Sunshine on Leith' by The Proclaimers.Plus 12 year old William Heath tells us how he's doing his bit for Movember by posting a photo of him dressed up as a different moustachioed famous face every day for a month.Matt Potter talks about his book 'F**k You and Goodbye: The dark and hilarious history of the resignation letter', published by Constable.Producer: Joe KentEditor: Karen Dalziel.

11/15/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds

Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins joined Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Saturday Live hosted a special auction, offering listeners the chance to bid for some amazing prize packages to raise money for BBC Children in Need. LINES ARE NOW CLOSED - PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR TRY TO BID.Jonathan Agnew described the Test Match Special package; Felicity Finch aka Ruth Archer talked about the VIP Archers experience; Alan Smith described life behind the scenes at R4 presentation and Richard, Aasmah and JP Devlin talked about the Saturday Live experience. With Auctioneer, Will Farmer.John Craven shared his Inheritance Tracks - You Are My Sunshine by Gene Autry and The Children in Need single Wake Me Up. We also heard from Jack and Billie who have benefitted from projects supported by Children in Need and from children who say Thank You.Katherine Jenkins has sold more than eight million records and received accolades including two Classical BRITS. She headlined the Queen's Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace and was awarded an OBE at the 2014 New Year's Honours List. She joined Richard and Aasmah to discuss her music career and her return to her classical roots.Home Sweet Home by Katherine Jenkins is released on 17 November.

11/8/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

The comedian Shappi Khorsandi joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk new shows, shyness and single motherhood. Emmanuel Jal shares his story and some of his music. At just six years old he was recruited to fight in Sudan's civil war and lost more than five years to the conflict. Now the self-described 'peace soldier' says his only weapon is music. Lutz Pfannenstiel is the only person to have played professional football on six continents. The goalkeeper tells us about his time at 25 different clubs in 13 countries, and how he once found a penguin in his gloves. We have the 'Inheritance Tracks' of Dermot O'Leary who , eventually, picks Nat King Cole's 'Nature Boy' and Bruce Springsteen's 'Thunder Road'.And the director of research for the TV programme QI, John Mitchinson, reveals how they decide what's interesting and what's not. Plus we find out who really hangs out at the East London skatepark officially recognised this week as a site of national cultural significance. Producer Joe KentEditor Karen Dalziel.

11/1/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Actor Tom Hollander joins Suzy Klein and Jay Rayner to talk Rev, Dylan Thomas and his attempts at DIY. JP Devlin raises a pint to Dylan Thomas on the centenary of his birth at one of Thomas's old London drinking haunts. Carole Stone has been described as Britain's most connected woman. She reveals her networking secrets and tells us why she doesn't make her connections through social media. He may have had to look up who 'Brad Pitt' was, but that didn't stop D-Day veteran Peter 'Cosy' Comfort from accepting an invite to join him on the red carpet to celebrate the premier of Brad's latest film 'Fury'. Fred and Mary Collingwood are one of Britain's oldest newlywed couples. Their whirlwind romance lasted 4 months before they tied the knot last week at 89. We also meet Henry Patterson, the 10 year old entrepreneur with his own sweetshop. And the Inheritance Tracks of children's author and Purple Ronnie creator Giles Andreae.Giles chooses 'Camelot' from the musical of the same name and 'Anthem' by Leonard Cohen. His latest book is Sir Scallywag and the Deadly Dragon Poo, illustrated by the legendary Korky Paul is out now.'A Poet in New York' starring Tom Hollander is repeated on BBC 2 at 9.45pm on Saturday 25 October 2014.Producer: Alex LewisEditor: Karen Dalziel.

10/25/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Presented by Suzy Klein and Richard Coles.International rock star Bryan Adams talks about his career as a photographer with the likes of his musical hero Ray Charles and his latest project with wounded soldiers.Change and transformation, too, for Lee Spencer. An Afghanistan and Iraq veteran, he describes how he lost a leg - not on the battlefield but while being a good Samaritan on a British motorway.Turner prize winning artist Martin Creed talks about trousers with JP Devlin.Maths teacher turned stand-up comedian Matt Parker on how to cut a pizza with a mathematical formula so rigorous everyone gets exactly the same amount of topping.Kenny Clark is a football referee who in 2001 took charge of Africa's biggest and arguably most hotly contested derby. He explains how the Cairo showdown between Egyptian sides Al Ahly and Zamalek is so fierce that foreign referees are brought in.Tennis player turned romantic novelist Alice Peterson on how her sporting career was stopped in its tracks when she was diagnosed aged 18 with rheumatoid arthritis.And the Inheritance Tracks of John Peel's widow, Sheila Ravenscroft, who chooses Panis Angelicus by César Franck and You Little Thief by Feargal Sharkey.Wounded: The Legacy of War - A photography exhibition by Bryan Adams runs at the Terrace Rooms, Somerset House, London from 12 November 2014 - 25 January 2015.Martin Creed has contributed to Frieze's free sculpture park, which runs until 18 October.Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension by Matt Parker, published by Particular Books.One Step Closer to You by Alice Peterson, published by Quercus Books.You can hear Sheila Ravenscroft talking to Jarvis co*cker about John Peel's legacy, both in tons of vinyl and the arts centre in Stowmarket named after him, on Radio 4 Extra this morning (sat) until 11.30am or from 7pm this evening.Producer: Louise Corley.

10/18/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Alison Lapper joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. For two years a 12 foot statue of her naked and pregnant body was on display in Trafalgar Square in London and since 2000 - the year her son was born - she has been followed by the BBC TV series 'Child of Our Time'. Despite being born with no arms she is a professional artist.Martha Collison, the Great British Bake Off's youngest ever contestant, takes a break from her A Levels to tell us about her eight weeks on the show and what the future may hold.James Goodfellow explains what it's like to have invented something used by millions of people a day - the cash machine.And ahead of the release of a new film about Northern Soul we explore its resurgence amongst fans young and old.Plus the West End and Broadway star Ruthie Henshall selects her inheritance tracks.And JP Devlin visits the man who claims to have Britain's biggest collection of Barbie dolls - Giovani Madonia.Producer: Joe KentEditor: Alex Lewis.

10/11/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Presented by Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Kanya King MBE is the founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards, Europe's leading urban music brand, which has played a major role in bringing black music and culture to the mainstream. Now in its 19th year, it reaches in excess of 400 million viewers. Kanya reveals how she started it from a makeshift office in her bedroom, and by re-mortgaging her home.George The Poet describes his dizzying itinerary from Uganda to the Albert Hall via Stonebridge Park, and King's College Cambridge and performs from his latest work about fatherlessness and premature parenthood.Ben Collins is better known as "The Stig" from the BBC's internationally acclaimed Top Gear TV show. He discusses how he has coached hundreds of celebrities from Tom Cruise to Lionel Richie and his twenty year career as one of the best drivers in the world - from Le Mans Series racing to NASCAR, piloting the Batmobile and dodging bullets with James Bond.JP Devlin goes to meet Mike Cobb. As a budding songwriter in the 1970s Mike found himself recording at a studio in Leatherhead. It was located above the local Co-Op dairy. His songs didn't go anywhere but he ended up staying on at the studio as a studio manager for the next 11 years. The Police recorded their album Outlandos D'Amour there and all the while the milk floats whirred in and out. They'd start at 5am when many bands like The Police were in the middle of recording. Milkmen would bump into bleary eyed rock stars. Did the early morning sound of the milk floats inspire some of the great tunes of the 70s and 80s?Phil Worsley and pupils from The Joseph Whitaker School in Nottingham explain how they are preparing to smash the world speed record for a model car.Bonnie Langford shares her Inheritance Tracks - Bring Me Sunshine by Morecambe and Wise, and The Overture of Gypsy by Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra.And Len Biddlecombe has written 47 poems for his wife Barbara, to mark every year they have spent together. Barbara now has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home. Len shares his last poem to her.The MOBO Awards 2014 - will take place on 22 October at The SSE Arena, Wembley.George the Poet's new EP is Chicken and Egg. He will be performing at the Scala London on 13 October.How to Drive - The Ultimate Guide - from the man who was The Stig, by Ben Collins, is published by Macmillan.Bonnie Langford is appearing in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre in London.Life of Love by Len Biddlecombe is published in paperback by Blackheath Dawn Ltd.

10/4/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Actor and songwriter Gary Kemp joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles to talk about 'Soul Boys of the Western World', a film documenting the rise, fall and return of 80's band Spandau Ballet.Hilary Bradt is the founder of the Bradt travel guides. To mark 40 years in the business she shares some of her more irresponsible travel stories.Jimmy G is one of Russia's biggest pop stars but unheard of anywhere else. He talks about what it's like to switch between being mobbed and totally unrecognised.Virgin Boss Sir Richard Branson shares his inheritance tracks: 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield and 'Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones.We also learn what it takes to be a double world champion stone skimmer with Lucy Wood.And the internationally renowned happiness expert Paul Dolan gives us tips for a better life.'Soul Boys of the Western World' has a special premiere on Tuesday 30 September at the Albert Hall in London, beamed by satellite to cinemas across the UK and Eire. The film goes on general cinema release from 3 October.'The Irresponsible Traveller' is edited by Hilary Bradt and published by Bradt.'Happiness by design' by Professor Paul Dolan is published by Allen Lane.Produced by Alex Lewis.

9/27/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein and a live audience at the 2014 Abergavenny Food Festival, with doyenne of the wine world Jancis Robinson, Jay Rayner from Radio 4's Kitchen Cabinet, tree hunter Rob McBride and beekeeper Scott Davies who gave world leaders a taste of honey at the recent NATO summit in Newport. The Today programme's John Humphrys tucks into some Welsh treats with JP Devlin, BBC Introducing star Kizzy Crawford performs and musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews shares her Inheritance Tracks.Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson write 'The World Atlas of Wine'. The seventh edition is available now.Tree hunter Rob McBride is hosting a talk & walk at Modbury in Devon as part of the HERCULES Cultural Landscape Project at 2pm on September 20th.Kizzy Crawford's new single 'Golden Brown' is out now.Cerys Matthews broadcasts on BBC Radio 6 Music on Sundays from 10am to 1pm. She inherits Snooks Eaglin's 'I'm a Country Boy' and passes on Hozier's 'Take Me To Church'.Beekeeper Scott Davies runs Hilltop Honey in Newton in Powys.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

9/20/2014 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds

Presented by Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir is at the Invictus Games.The award winning crime writer Val McDermid has written 28 novels, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. She joins Richard to talk about her passion for football, her musical aspirations and where she finds inspiration for her novels.Former Royal Marine and medallist Andy Grant lost his right leg in Afghanistan in 2009. He describes how vital sport has been to his rehabilitation and the amazing feeling of winning Gold for the 1500 metres.JP Devlin talks to R2 Breakfast presenter Chris Evans about the importance of reading with his children and why he finds it so emotional.Award winning photographer Paul Clarke explains how he changed career late in life and reinvented himself, by swapping a bottle of tequila for a camera.Mary Wilson sustained injuries to her cheek, toes and shoulder, while on a Military Horse Riding course with the Royal Artillery. She has since taken part in the US Warrior Games 2013. She talks about the events she's taking part in for the Invictus Games, and how she's recently completed 282 Munros.Tony Harris's vehicle was hit by an explosion whilst on patrol in Afghanistan. He spent 10 months in hospital and his leg was amputated due to infection. He has since taken part in the Dakar Rally. He is now a member of the sitting volleyball team and explains that taking part in sport has been vital to his recovery.And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of actress Rebecca Front, who chooses We All Laughed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong and Siciliano, The second movement of Bach's Second Piano Concerto, performed by Glenn Gould.The Invictus Games run until Sunday 14 September.The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid is published by Little, Brown.Chris Evans reads The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers to his children.Paul Clarke won the Professional category of the Event Photography Awards 2014.Producer: Louise Corley.

9/13/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Impressionist and actor Alistair McGowan joins Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein to talk sporting passions, finding your roots and the joys of Noel Coward.Also joining us is Katy U'ren, a PE teacher from Glasgow. She discusses what it was like to teach children in Bangladesh how to swim as part of UNICEF's SwimSafe campaign, and what she's doing back home to transform the lives of the children she teaches.Listener Emma got in touch with Saturday Live after tracking down her birth mother on Facebook. She explains how the black hole of her past life has now been filled in â€" all the way back to 1647.Jack Durand is 14 and has just become the first Briton ever to win the World Youth Scrabble Championship. He gives us his tips for winning words.JP Devlin speaks to Jeanette Charles who has been impersonating The Queen for the last 42 years. As she prepares to take things a little easier, we hear what it's been like to live life as someone else.Virtuoso pianist Lang Lang shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses Tristesse from Etudes Opus 10 No 3 by Chopin and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No 3 played by Prokofiev.'Sincerely Noel' - a cabaret evening featuring a medley of songs and poems by Noel Coward, devised by and starring Alistair McGowan and Charlotte Page - is on at The Crazy Coqs in central London from Tuesday 9th September for 5 nights.Alistair's motto as shared on the programme: Good, better, best. May it never rest. Until the good is better and the better best.Produced by Alex Lewis.

9/6/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the columnist Katharine Whitehorn, the writer Nina Stibbe, and Nikki King, Honorary Chairman of Isuzu Truck UK, who shares her stories of doing business in Japan. Louise Johncox describes how her baker father inspired her love of the sound of a whisk. Nigel Brazier on four generations of his family business and traditional Black Country recipes. Stephen Evans explains why he learned to ride a bike at the age of 49 and a quarter and the singer Natalie Cole shares her Inheritance Tracks.Man at the Helm, by Nina Stibbe.The Baker's Daughter, by Louise Johncox.Stephen Evans is cycling 100 miles for Joining Jack a Charity that helps fight duch*ene's Muscular Dystrophy.Natalie Cole inherits Smile, from her father Nat King Cole and passes on You Gotta Be by Des'ree.Nat King Cole: Afraid Of The Dark is released through Universal Music, and features a brand new, previously unheard Nat King Cole track.Producer: Louise Corley.

8/30/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney, former engineer Sam King from Jamaica, who served with the RAF during the Second World War. Now 88 years-old he talks to Saturday Live about his life, legacy and the Notting Hill Carnival. Annabel Tellis Tunley emigrated with her family to Australia in 2004 and is running a project where she calls a Facebook friend, old or new every day. Some of them she hasn't spoken to for up to 40 years. Cellist and recovering alcoholic Rachael Lander on how she's rebuilding her career and looking forward to motherhood, Captain Andrew Wilkins who helps people overcome their fear of flying. He has recreated the interior of an aircraft where nervous flyers learn to 'fly' the plane themselves. The actor Anthony Head shares his Inheritance Tracks and JP Devlin will be in the studio reading your emails and waiting to take your calls.Gemma Cairney can be heard BBC Radio 1, Monday to Friday 4:00-6:30amRachael Lander can be seen in Addicts Symphony, Wednesday 27th August 11pm Channel 4Sam King's 'Climbing Up the Rough Side of the Mountain', Upfront Publishing; New edition 2004Anthony Head inherits Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11 and Highway, Highway by Stephen Allen DaviesProducer: Maire Devine.

8/23/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by the award-winning singer and composer Laura Mvula, poet Josephine Dickinson who has just regained her hearing after being deaf since she was six, and 'Educating Yorkshire' English teacher Matthew Burton. Plus Carl-Magnus Helgegren who took his two sons, aged ten and eleven, to visit a war zone after they asked to play the computer game 'Call of Duty', Clive and Jane Green who set out on a short sailing trip in 1998 and returned 51,000 nautical miles and 16 years later, and three folk musicians travelling from London to Bristol researching and playing the music of the canals on their way. And the former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss shares his Inheritance Tracks.JP Devlin will read your tweets (#saturdaylive), texts (84844) and emails ([emailprotected]).Laura Mvula will perform at the Proms on Tuesday August 19th - #Prom 45: Late Night with ... Laura Mvula'."Educating Yorkshire - One Year On" will be broadcast at 2100 on Channel 4 on August 21st.The folk-trio The Dead Rat Orchestra are performing at The Arnolfini in Bristol on Saturday August 16th.Andrew Strauss inherits Boney M's 'Rivers of Babylon', and he passes on Hootie & The Blowfish's 'Hold My Hand.' Andrew Strauss' autobiography 'Driving Ambition' is available now. Producer: Joe Kent.

8/16/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by the writer and comedian Katy Brand, author Harry Bucknall who followed all 1,411 miles of the Via Francigena Pilgrims walk from the City of London through England, France, Switzerland and Italy to Rome, and actor Daniel Laurie who's become the first student with Downs Syndrome to be accepted to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Theatre School Summer Course. Author and former news correspondent Gerald Seymour recalls his meeting with Maurice Bailey who, in 1973, with his wife Maralyn survived for 117 days on a rubber raft in the Pacific Ocean, and Maurice tells his side of the story. Alice Morrison has recently run the toughest footrace on earth - the Marathon Des Sables: six marathons in six days across the desert in temperatures of 50 degrees, carrying all your own provisions. The conductor and violinist Sir Neville Marriner shares his Inheritance Tracks and JP Devlin will be in the studio reading your emails and waiting to take your calls.Katy Brand will be at the Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire on the Sunday 10th August and her book Brenda Monk Is Funny was published by crowd-funding publisher Unbound on 31st July 2014.Harry Bucknall's book Like A Tramp, Like A Pilgrim: On Foot, Across Europe to Rome was published in July 2014 by Bloomsbury.Gerald Seymour's book Vagabond is out now.Sir Neville Marriner inherits Handel's Messiah performed by The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and passes on Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht performed by the Hollywood String Quartet. He's conducting Prom 32 on Sunday August 10th.Producer: Maire Devine.

8/9/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by the actress and writer Maureen Lipman, artist John Dolan who was saved from homelessness by his dog George, and Alison Trim who received a memorable musical 50th birthday present. John McCarthy meets Level 42's Mark King and his mother Bridget on the Isle of Wight, twins Billy and Bob Seago explain how passing and failing the 11 plus affected their relationship, Allan and Margot Wells reflect on working together and their long association with the Commonwealth Games, and Erasure's Andy Bell shares his Inheritance Tracks.Maureen Lipman stars in Daytona at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London, until 23 August.John Dolan's exhibition, John and George, is at the Howard Griffin Gallery London E1, until 17 August. John and George The Dog Who Changed My Life by John Dolan is published by Random House.Andy Bell inherits Blondie's '(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear' and he passes on 'Moments Of Pleasure' by Kate Bush. Andy Bell: Is Torsten the Bareback Saint at Assembly Venue 1, George Street, Edinburgh, from 6-16 August.Producer: Louise Corley.

8/2/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles with a programme from Glasgow to celebrate the Commonwealth Games. They are joined by record-breaking long-distance Scottish cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster and Queens Baton bearer Mark Beaumont.Sir Professor Geoff Palmer came to Britain from Jamaica aged 14. Described as educationally sub-normal is he now an expert in cereals and Professor Emeritus of brewing at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He was the first black Professor in Scotland and is a prominent anti-racism campaigner.We meet the former class mates who campaigned for a fairer deal for asylum seekers in the city.And live music from Dave and the Turtles, three school friends who have just won the Big Big Sing Commonwealth songwriting competition. They perform 'Life's a game' for us.Louise Martin is the chair of sportscotland and credited with bringing the Games to Glasgow and shares her Inheritance Tracks with us. She has chosen 500 miles by The Proclaimers and the theme of the Glasgow bid The Road to Home by Amy MacdonaldDavid Watson has spent the last 10 years mapping the Masai Marra Game Reserve after getting lost there in 1999. And more of your one way ticket stories. We meet Hamish Khayat and friends who booked a one way ticket to Australia. They are currently en route on their way back....in a rowing boat mid-Indian Ocean.Author and journalist Damian Barr gives thanks to his anonymous benefactor for the impact they've had on his career. Damian Barr's book 'Maggie And Me' is out now.Plus poetry from Sierra Leone, Gibraltar and Nauru.Produced by Alex Lewis.

7/26/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 41 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Lord Sugar's longstanding Apprentice advisor Nick Hewer,PhD student Hannah Earnshaw who's on the shortlist for a one-way ticket to Mars, and Lois Pryce who rode her motorcycle three thousand miles around Iran on her own. British Empire Medal winner Annie Chapman describes how she's raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for cancer research astride her tractor, lawn bowls player Andrew Newell explains why he wants to get Team Jamaica to the next Commonwealth Games, and JP Devlin tickles the ivories with Joe and Richard Stilgoe. Nancy Dell'Olio shares her Inheritance Tracks.Nick Hewer presents Countdown on Channel 4. The Apprentice returns to BBC One this autumn.Annie Chapman received the British Empire Medal for services to charity in June. Her Pink Ladies Tractor Road Run in East Anglia has raised over £300,000 for Cancer Research UK.Hannah Earnshaw is studying for a PhD in Astronomy at The University of Durham. She's one of 700 people shortlisted by the Mars One Foundation which aims to establish permanent human life on Mars.Lois Pryce motorcycled around Iran this April. She founded The Adventure Travel Film Festival and has written two books 'Lois on the Loose' and 'Red Tape, White Knuckles'.Andrew Newell's Jamaica Road Kickstarter aims to crowd fund a Jamaican Lawn Bowls team in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Nancy Dell'Olio inherits Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot and passes on Message in a Bottle by The Police. 'Nancy Dell'Olio: Rainbows From Diamonds' is at the Gilded Ballon in Edinburgh from August 15th to 24th.Joe Stilgoe's show 'Songs On Film' is at Edinburgh's Assembly Checkpoint on July 31st and August 1st.Produced by Dixi Stewart.

7/19/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are in the studio with Britain's best-selling author, children's writer Julia Donaldson, who created the character of the Gruffalo. Also, Matt Lewis, who as a young marine biologist was shipwrecked in the Antarctic seas and has written about the experience in "Last Man Off", busker Catrina Davies, who travelled 11,000 miles with her cello, and the captain of the Cheshire cricket team attempting to save face after the humiliation of being bowled out for three in a league game. Plus, JP Devlin joins the Routemaster bus enthusiasts gathering from around the World to mark the icon's 60th birthday and the outgoing Radio Three Controller and Director of the Proms, Roger Wright, shares his Inheritance Tracks.Julia Donaldson talks about a life spent creating and bringing to life some much-loved children's characters, including the Gruffalo, Tabby McTat and the witch in Room on the Broom. Her latest book 'The Scarecrows' Wedding' is published by Scholastic and is out on the 17th July.In 1998 Matt Lewis was a 23 year old research scientist on the South African trawler the Sudur Havid. His trip to the Antarctic seas was meant to be an opportunity to monitor and study wildlife. Instead it became a battle to survive, after the ship went down in a storm. Matt talks about his experiences, which he's written about in "Last Man Off", serialised on BBC Radio Four.Catrina Davies took her cello on travels of 11,000 miles as she busked around Europe. She gives us tips on the most generous countries, with the biggest coins. She has written a book called 'The Ribbons are for Fearlessness' published by Summersdale. Her EP is called 'Ribbons'.Wirral Cricket Club player Nick Jones talks about what it's like to face humiliation on the pitch. His team 'went viral' after being bowled out for just three runs in a local match against Haslington Cricket Club. Now a rematch gives Wirral the chance to redeem themselves.Fiona Macalister describes her most treasured possession, for Saturday Live's feature 'The Thing About Me'. A gold ring, showcasing a lock of the hair of Bonnie Prince Charlie, has been in her family for more than 200 years.As the Routemaster bus celebrates its 60th birthday, JP Devlin goes to Finsbury Park in London to meet its biggest fans as they prepare for a special bus rally.This week's Inheritance Tracks are from the outgoing Controller of Radio Three Roger Wright, who is also the Director of the BBC Proms. He chooses Sibelius' Second Symphony, performed by the Halle Orchestra and conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, and Via Con Me by Paolo Conte.Producer: Lizz Pearson.

7/12/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Suzy Klein and Richard Coles with American singer-songwriter Ben Folds, Wayne Ingram who as soldier in Bosnia met and helped Stefan Savic, who was born with a facial cleft, the family who've lived in the same house for five generations, 12 year old Liverpool schoolgirl Millie Courtney who's topping the charts in Nashville, and black hat Wimbledon steward David Spearing. JP Devlin delivers a Tour de France Crowdscape from the Yorkshire Dales and last year's winner Chris Froome shares his Inheritance Tracks.Ben Folds talks about his music career, his talent for collaboration, his multimedia approach to his work and the importance of our musical heritage, following his recent campaign to save a recording studio in Nashville. JP Devlin visits Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales, to mark the Tour de France - the world's biggest bike race - which starts in Leeds today.Wayne Ingram was a British soldier in Bosnia in 2003, when he met Stefan Savic, a four year old boy with a life-threatening facial cleft. He describes how he fundraised to enable Stefan to undergo reconstructive surgery, and their relationship today.A townhouse in Bristol dating back to 1885 has been home to five generations of the same family for over 110 years. It was bought in 1904 for £200 by Charles and Maud. Bill was born there in 1907. John lived there as a teenager, and his daughter Jackie has been there since 2006, along with her own children. John, Jackie and James talk about their memories, family history and life in the house today.Millie Courtney recently topped the charts in Nashville with her song Storybook. Millie and her dad Rob talk about her success as a singer/ songwriter and she performs live in the studio.This week's Inheritance Tracks are from cyclist Chris Froome the reigning champion of The Tour de France. He chooses All You Need Is Love by The Beatles and Scatterlings of Africa by Johnny Clegg.With the Wimbledon Tennis Finals this weekend, JP Devlin meets David Spearing - the longest serving steward who looks after players' families.Producer: Louise Corley.

7/5/2014 • 1 hour, 21 minutes, 41 seconds

Tony Parsons joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein. Tony talks about his new crime novel, The Murder Bag, and about his first foray into the genre of crime writing. He also talks about boxing, his Father and the importance of his family.Ian Boughton is the Grandson of Rutland Boughton, originator of the very first 'Glastonbury Festivals' and the composer of 'The Immortal Hour'. The festivals, which ran from 1914 to 1926, inspired Michael Eavis to start his own Glastonbury Festival and Ian talks about his Grandfather's work, his radicalism and the very first Glastonbury Festivals.Mia Cunningham is the first ever Young Poet Laureate of Shropshire. Her Grandfather Paul is a poet too and contributes his Wenlock Edge country diary to the Guardian Newspaper. They talk about family poetic DNA and why poetry is so important to them.Roger Beckett took up painting and sketching as a result of a trip to Spain where he stumbled across a public painting festival. He now runs 'Pintar Rapido', an event all are welcome to where you paint or sketch en masse in a day. The event celebrates the urban landscape and is in London on Saturday July 19th and 20th.Michael Ibsen is a Canadian cabinet maker working in London. He is the nephew of Richard lll 17 times removed and is making the coffin the King will be buried in next year. Michael talks about his famous relation and the coffin he's designing.JP Devlin meets Al Murray and they walk around the Imperial War Museum in London which is reopening in July after a major refurbishment.This week's Inheritance Tracks are from Mari Wilson, the beehive Queen of Neasden. She chooses The Folks Who Live on the Hill by Peggy Lee and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the Bee Gees.On Saturday evening, at York Minster, there's a major choral piece celebrating Le Grand Depart, the start of the Tour de France in Yorkshire, with 12 choirs and around 400 people chosen from along the 'Tour' route. Alex Lindley, a Saturday Live listener and one of the singers and organisers, wants to say 'Thank You' to everyone involved and tells us about the event.

6/28/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 51 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, seventh Python Carol Cleveland, and Stuart J Cole who was abandoned as a baby, sent to Jamaica to live with family he had never met, and who turned his life around during a spell in prison. We go to Glyndebourne to meet Caroline and Andrew Thomson and Sandra and Ian Pusey who found real-life love at the opera, radiator salesman Phil Neville tells us what it's like to be a victim of mistaken identity and has a go at football commentary, John McCarthy visits the Isle of Wight where the dawn rose on satellite and radio technology, and Jersey Boy Ryan Molloy shares his Inheritance Tracks.Helen Fielding's anonymous column in The Independent newspaper led to a novel, then another, two films to match and, after a break of 14 years, 'Mad About The Boy', the third instalment of Bridget's trials and tribulations now graces bookshelves around the world.Caroline and Andrew Thomson and Sandra and Ian Pusey celebrated at Glyndebourne's current production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, which runs until July 11th.Stuart J Cole's books 'Two Years' and 'A Message to my Family' tell the story of his extraordinary life and are available online.Carol Cleveland will be reunited with the other members of Monty's Flying Circus ahead of their upcoming show Monty Python Live (mostly) which runs 1st -20th July at The O2 in London. Her book Pom Poms Up! is out now.Ryan Molloy is currently starring in 'The Jersey Boys' on Broadway. He inherits 'The Night' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and passes on Donny Hathaway's 'A Song For You'.Producer: Alex Lewis.

6/21/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir with Britain's poster girl for transgender acceptance Paris Lees, tsunami orphans Rob and Paul Forkan whose flip-flop company funds a foundation to help other survivors of the 2004 tsunami, teenage champion Jenni Herd who won an apology from The Times after she challenged negative stereotypes of young people in the paper, and garage owner Errol McKellar who's saved 24 lives by offering his customers a discount if they'll take a test for prostate cancer. With less than 100 days to go to the Scottish Independence Referendum JP Devlin delivers a Crowdscape from Scotch Corner, and Fatboy Slim shares his Inheritance Tracks.Writer, presenter and equality campaigner Paris Lees is ambassador for All About Trans, Editor-at-large of Attitude magazine and a columnist for VICE.Rob and Paul Forkan are founders of Gandys Flip Flops which funds the Orphans for Orphans mission. International Flip Flop day is Friday June 20th.Errol McKellar runs the Cremer Garage in East London.Fatboy Slim's new album Fatboy Slim Presents Bem Brasil is out now.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

6/14/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Rev Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with the chairman of The National Trust, Sir Simon Jenkins, talking about the National Trust and his new book 'England's 100 Best Views', Francesco Da Mosto sharing his views of Venice and elsewhere, Tony Bennett, the 'VisitBritain' and 'Countryside is Great' Take a View Landscape Photographer of the year 2013 on the perfect landscape photograph, Ang Zangbhu, a supporter of the Himalayan Trust UK and a former sherpa in the foothills of Everest who now flies jets out of Gatwick, describing the view of his birthplace from the air, Ron Price, at 95, the oldest National Trust volunteer, on the joys of volunteering and a life involved with Buckland Abbey in Devon, Judy Worham and Carol Blacher, retired friends, who are exploring London's underground stations, The Inheritance Tracks of Dame Kiri te Kanawa who chooses O Mio Babbino Caro by Giacomo Puccini and Marschallin's Monologue from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, and JP Devlin visits the Irish town of Gort, population around 3,000 and with a significant Brazilian community.Produced by Chris Wilson.

6/7/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir with broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, homeless athlete Joel Hodgson, wingsuiter Geraldine Fasnacht and 14 year old record-breaking fisherman Will Sudders. JP Devlin visits the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and Arianna Huffington shares her Inheritance Tracks.Jeremy Paxman's book Great Britain's Great War is available now.Joel Hodgson sold The Big Issue before he started working for Freshfields and training for the Commonwealth Games with Inspired by Sports.Geraldine Fasnacht is one of the world's most experienced wingsuiters.Will Sudders a 122lb, 7 foot catfish on Sunday 27th April at Oakwood Park Lake in Thetford, Norfolk.Arianna Huffington's book Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Happier Life is available now. She inherits Zorba's Dance from Zorba the Greek and passes on Alleluia from Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

5/31/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with adventurer Ed Stafford whose latest book 'Naked and Marooned' charts 60 days completely alone with nothing but a camera. Ed discusses his world travels and the profound psychological impact enforced, albeit self imposed, solitude, had on him.Lady Catherine Meyer lost both of her sons when her former husband abducted them and took them to Germany against the ruling of a British court. Years of legal battles ensued but Catherine couldn't get the boys back. Years later they got back in touch and are now reunited. Catherine set up a charity, 'PACT' to campaign for fundamental improvements in child protection policies and practices and help people in similar circ*mstances.Peter Hodes is a volunteer stem cell courier for Anthony Nolan. He travels the world delivering vital human material for transplant operations and talks to us about his work and travels.Joanne Harris suffered with Motor Neurone Disease. She'd written about her condition in the Guardian Newspaper and was planning to record an audio column for us here at 'Saturday Live' but sadly died before she could complete it. Since she very much wanted to broadcast her piece, a close friend, Ann, agreed to do it and both Ann and Jo's brother discuss how Jo coped with such a debilitating condition.JP Devlin goes to Hay on Wye to talk to people just before the Hay Literary Festival descends on the town.Listener Chris Markiewicz talks about the joy of hearing a 1967 1275 cc Austin Healey Sprite engine.Ziggy Marley, son of Bob Marley, shares his Inheritance Tracks, choosing a piece by his Dad and a song he wrote and performed himself. Africa Unite (Bob Marley) and I Dont Wanna Live on Mars (Ziggy Marley).Produced by Chris Wilson.

5/24/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Suzy Klein and Aasmah Mir with singer song-writer Lulu. Also Iain Stewart, a charity worker from Scotland who is recording an album with Rwandan musician Jean-Paul Samputu on the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation. Plus, foster couple Mick and Angela, who despite being in their 70s, now only take in babies. Ronan Keating shares his Inheritance Tracks.Singer-songwriter and 60s icon Lulu talks about 50 years in the music business, a career in acting and her new life as a gran. Lulu has an anti-ageing cosmetic brand Time Bomb.Mick and Angela appear in Episode One of the recent ITV series, 'Wanted: A Family of My Own'.John McCarthy takes a trip to the Isle of Wight with Level 42 singer Mark King, to discover the forgotten golf course that could have been the South Coast's St Andrews.Scottish charity worker Iain Stewart from the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and Rwandan musician Jean-Paul Samputu talk about the album they're recording together in memory of Rwanda's genocide. Jean-Paul explains how he lost his family in the conflict, and came to forgive the man responsible for killing his family.Actor Neil Pearson invites JP Devlin to share his Secret Life, a love of antiquarian books. Neil is taking part in the London International Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia from 22-24th May.Ronan Keating's voice will be heard in the new film 'Postman Pat' out on May 23rd. His Inheritance Track choices are My Way by Frank Sinatra and Father and Son by Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam.Producer: Lizz Pearson.

5/18/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir with actor Tyger Drew-Honey, the world's leading maze designer Adrian Fisher, dad and daughter cheerleading team Darren and Amy Peaco*ck, Ann Hunt and Elizabeth Hamel who are the world's longest separated twins, and Sofi, Melanie, Amanda and August von Trapp, great-grandchildren of the Captain in The Sound Of Music. To mark its 20th birthday there's a Crowdscape from the Channel Tunnel, and Coleen Nolan shares her Inheritance Tracks. JP Devlin has tales of embarrassing parents, and we have more thank yous for the kindness of strangers.Tyger Drew-Honey's documentary Tyger Takes On p*rn is broadcast on Thursday 15th May at 9pm on BBC Three, Tyger Takes On The Perfect Body follows on May 22nd and Tyger Takes On Love on May 29th.Darren and Amy Peaco*ck are cheerleaders with Hunters Cheerleading in Bolton.Adrian Fisher is recognised as the world's leading maze designer; he's created more than 600 mazes across six continents and 30 countries.Twins Reunited Ann Hunt and Elizabeth Hamel are the world's longest separated twins. Parted when they were 5 months old, they were finally reunited, aged 78, on May 1st this year.Coleen Nolan's memoire No Regrets is out now.The von Trapps new album, Dream A Little Dream, recorded with Pink Martini, has just been released. They're currently on tour in the UK, appearing at The Barbican in London on May 10th and Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music on May 11th.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

5/10/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles in London and Suzy Klein in Bristol from the Bristol Food Connections Festival with food writer Jay Rayner, The Inheritance Tracks of Julian Lloyd Webber, Nick Hunt following in the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor on his 2,500 mile walk from Rotterdam to Istanbul, JP Devlin meeting urban gull expert Peter Rock on a Bristol rooftop, poetry from Elvis McGonagall, Vicky Harrison who is knitting Bristol in miniature and Romy Gill, chef and restaurant owner on the immeasurable joys of modern Indian food.Jay Rayner, food critic, author and jazz pianist joins Richard in the studio. 'Kitchen Cabinet' starts on BBC Radio 4 on 10 May.Richard Smith aka Elvis McGonagall performs poems on Bristol and food. Elvis McGonagall is on Radio 4 on Wednesday nights at 2300 with a new show 'Elvis McGonagall Looks on the Bright Side'.Romy Gill runs Romy's kitchen in Thornbury (near Bristol) and is a chef/owner. Brought up in West Bengal she talks to Suzy about her early life, running a small business and why Bristol is so interesting for food.JP Devlin roams the streets of Bristol to record a crowdscape.Nick Hunt took Patrick Leigh Fermor's epic walk to Istanbul in the early 1930's to heart and followed, pretty much, in his exact footsteps in about half the time. 'Walking the Woods and the Water: in Patrick Leigh Fermor's footsteps from the Hook of Holland to the Golden Horn' by Nick Hunt (Nicholas Brealey Publishing) is out now.JP meets Peter Rock, the UK's leading urban gull expert, on a Bristol roof with some breeding pairs.Vicky Harrison and a team of merry crafters have been knitting the city of Bristol. Vicky talks to Suzy about 'Briswool' and how communities can come together creatively.Julian Lloyd-Webber's Inheritance Tracks are The March from the Love For Three Oranges by Prokofiev and The Little Beggar Boy by Piazzolla played by Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd-Webber.Producer: Chris Wilson.

5/3/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rev Richard Coles and Andrea Catherwood with maths writer Alex Bellos, English-speaker Caroline Sarll who decided to bring her children up to be bilingual, Charlie Corr whose childhood dream came true when he met Pele, Frank McCauley from lowly Salford City FC who've caught the eye of Manchester United's famous 'Class of '92', Ken Jones who was caught in an avalanche, and Simon Duncan and Mark Atkinson whose band's name earned them a Banksy. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of writer and broadcaster Judy Finnigan.Alex Bellos's new book is Alex Through the Looking-Glass. His first maths book was the hugely acclaimed Alex's Adventures in Numberland. He set up favouritenumber.net, a global survey to find the world's favourite number. His book on Brazilian football Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life has been revised and updated with a new chapter for the 2014 World Cup. He ghostwrote Pele: The Autobiography. He blogs about maths for The Guardian.On June 25 1966, 13 year-old Charlie Corr ran onto the pitch at Hampden to meet his football idol Pele. The moment was captured on camera and the picture was printed recently in the Sunday Mail in Scotland.Caroline Sarll and her husband are both native English speakers but she decided to bring up their two daughters to be bilingual in German.Ken Jones survived an avalanche in Transylvania in 2003. His book Darkness Descending is out now.Simon Duncan and Mark Atkinson's original band name was Exit Via The Giftshop. They changed it to Brace Yourself and gained a BanksyWriter and broadcaster Judy Finnigan's book Eloise is out now.Frank McCauley has been involved with Salford City FC for 30 years and is now a member of the committee.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

4/26/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Anita Anand and Andrea Catherwood are joined by British designer Bruce Oldfield OBE, best known for his couture and bridalwear designs. Tom Mackenzie recalls his experiences as the last child to be admitted to the Foundling Hospital, a charity run on strict Victorian values that brought up children born outside marriage. Lynne Moore is an war artist who was embedded with the British Forces in Helmund, Hannah Rochell writes the En Brogue blog describing the joys of wearing brogues. Plus JP Devlin has a hot encounter with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and author Helen Fielding shares her Inheritance Tracks. And two men from Birmingham, Jon Bounds and Danny Smith tell us about their mission to visit all 56 seaside piers in England and Wales in just two weeks.Producer: Maire Devine.

4/19/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by TV presenter and novelist Fern Britton. Tom Hart Dyke recalls his traumatic kidnap experience in the jungles of Colombia and how it led to the creation of a world garden, Gary Enstone relishes his job as a conservator of Kipling's old home and Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent explains why she rode the Ho Chi Minh Trail alone on a pink motorbike. Jimmy Osmond chooses his inheritance tracks, JP meets an Abba super-fan and a bunch of city lawyers get down and dirty in their office roof-top allotment.Fern Britton reveals her passion for gardening as 'The Big Allotment Challenge' begins on BBC 2 and the accompanying book is published. She talks about her life as a writer and her love of Cornwall as her fourth novel, 'A Seaside Affair' is out on April 24th.Tom Hart Dyke's book about his kidnap and the idea to create a world garden at his ancestral home Lullingstone Castle is 'The Cloud Garden'. Lullingstone Castle has just opened for the summer season. Gary Enstone, as House Steward and conservator at Bateman's in East Sussex explains how dust, water, and 10,000 visitors a year can play havoc with historic properties if not meticulously tended, and why he likes to taste the dust. Bateman's is open all year round.Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent says the biggest challenge on her two thousand mile motor-bike ride through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia was going it alone.JP Devlin meets Abba super-fan, Jason Tuazon-McCheyne from Melbourne, and Jimmy Osmond, chooses his Inheritance Tracks - Moon River by Andy Williams and 'He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother' by The Osmonds, reflecting how close he is both to his siblings and his four children.Producer: Dilly Barlow.

4/12/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by agony aunt Irma Kurtz. 10 year old blogger Harry Hamer talks about missing his grandparents when they moved abroad, Jean Singfield describes why a set of rosary beads are the Thing About Her, Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark reveals her secret love of tapestry, author Stephen Armstrong celebrates Ibiza, comedian Jack Whitehall shares his Inheritance Tracks, and veteran servicemen Darren 'Swifty' Swift discusses his reinvention as an actor, and listeners Sally, Liz and Jacqui, say 'thank you' for a past kindness large or small.Irma Kurtz reflects on 40 years of dispensing advice, why being a grandmother is so great, why she's ended up without that special soulmate and her new book 'My Life In Agony'.Journalist Kirsty Wark tells JP Devlin how she inherited a love of tapestry from her mother. Kirsty's new novel is 'The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle'.Stephen Armstrong explains why Ibiza has always been the place to party. He's currently updating his book about Ibiza 'The White Island'.For his Inheritance Tracks Jack Whitehall chooses plainchant from the Monks of Ampleforth Abbey and Rollin' by Limp Bizkit. He and his father Michael have written a book called 'Him and Me'.Former servicemen Darren 'Swifty' Swift charts his journey from military service to the stage. He's currently appearing in Owen Sheers' play 'The Two Worlds of Charlie F' which is touring the UK. Producer: Maire Devine.

4/5/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with comedian Paul Whitehouse, Lady Churchill's secretary Heather White-Smith, polar explorer Ben Saunders, pargetting plasterer Martin Ward and Francis Urquhart's Inheritance Tracks. Plus JP Devlin in the BBC Radio Theatre with audience members from The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

3/29/2014 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 39 seconds

John McCarthy and Suzy Klein meet veteran photographer Don McCullin to talk about wars zones, life in Somerset and how being born and raised in Finsbury Park shaped his life. John Wildey is a seventy seven year old grandfather who took over the controls to land a plane when the pilot took ill. Felicity Warner is a soul midwife who helps people have a peaceful death. There are tales of homelessness from the streets of London, Claudia Winkleman shares her Inheritance Tracks and we hear how the helmet belonging to a young soldier killed in Vietnam ended up for sale in Portobello Market. We take a trip on a train run by children in Budapest and find out if the Quiff, the hairstyle so beloved of the Teddy Boys is about to make a comeback.Produced by Maire Devine.

3/22/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by tv presenter Kate Humble, Mark Boyle who lived without money for 3 years, and Philip Geddes who brought a stuffed penguin from Antarctica to Hampshire. Pop Idol judge Nicki Chapman shares her love of dressage, John McCarthy takes a dip in the baths of Budapest and Desmond Morris shares his Inheritance Tracks.Produced by Lizz Pearson.

3/15/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand with writer Lynne Truss, poet Luke Wright, actress Tina Malone who had two children 32 years apart, Guy Anderson whose paraglider crashed in the desert, Jill Goldston who is possibly Britain's most prolific film and TV extra, and Bill Smith who raised Donald Campbell's Bluebird from the depths of Coniston on this day 13 years ago. Harry Stone describes the sounds of golf, opera singer Danielle de Niese shares her Inheritance Tracks and JP Devlin interviews a dog called Frank.Produced by Dixi Stewart.

3/8/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand meet former Spice Girl, Mel C who talks about two decades in the spotlight, on being a Mum to five-year-old Scarlet and how she's finally learned to chill out. JP Devlin talks to TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham about collecting chairs, aviator Tracey Curtis Taylor on her historic flight from Capetown to Goodwood in an open topped plane, performer Patti Boulaye shares her Inheritance Tracks, Zhenia Klochko talks about the family she left behind in the Ukraine, Bill Spence, a grandfather from North Yorkshire writes romantic novels, under the pseudonym Jessica Blair. Now 90 years old, he's been shortlisted for the prestigious award - the Romantic Novel of the Year 2014, three listeners say 'thank you' for a past kindness large or small and Noel Gaughan on being a driving instructor to the stars.Produced by Maire Devine.

3/1/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Andrea Catherwood meet chef and cookery writer Yotam Ottolenghi who talks about his life and work, JP Devlin meets a quilting group, travel writer Rory MacLean celebrates the volatile and extraordinary city of Berlin, the step sister of Anne Frank, Eva Schloss, shares her Inheritance Tracks, Alison Maguire talks about the loss of her young daughter to the rare and devastating disorder Mitochondrial Disease, Anne Olivier Bell, a 'Monuments Woman', talks about her work in 1945 trying to save art stolen or under threat of destruction by the Nazis- and meeting George Clooney, three listeners say 'thank you' for a past kindness large or small and Jamie Hunter talks about realising his childhood dream: flying as a specialist aerial photographer.Produced by Chris Wilson.

2/22/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 20 seconds

Suzy Klein and Richard Coles with comedian, actor and musician Ade Edmondson, professional basketball player Alex Owumi who found himself playing for Colonel Gaddafi, Caroline Brealey who's just been named the world's number one matchmaker, Samuel Johnson who's living his childhood dream as a Lego designer, and Bob Davenport who found some old tapes of him singing alongside folk legend Pete Seeger. JP Devlin hits the slopes at the snow centre in Hemel Hempstead, we visit a hospice in Berkhamstead offering cookery courses to bereaved teenagers, and Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell shares his Inheritance Tracks.Produced by Dixi Stewart.

2/15/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with adventurer and TV presenter Simon Reeve. Judith Keppel, the first person to hit the jackpot on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, contemplates luck; food and travel writer Michael Booth explores Scandinavia; cricketer and columnist Ed Smith reflects on managing maverick talent; Andrew Cotton describes the thrill and skill of surfing a big wave; toxinologist Dr Zoltan Takacs explains why he's charmed by snakes and their venom; Marjorie Wallace shares her Inheritance Tracks, and Kate Allatt recalls how Facebook helped her out of locked-in syndrome.Produced by Dilly Barlow.

2/8/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles & Anita Anand with special guest actress, writer and Costa Book award judge Natascha McElhone on her unthespian roots and the sudden death of her husband. They hear the Inheritance Tracks of singer Graham Nash and Ron Moody's Secret Life of 'ombrage'. Flood victim Trixie Webber tells them how she recovered from the Boscastle flood of 2004 and Louise Ashley and Jason Liostatos reflect on how their relationship fared with no fixed abode. Peter Caton revisits the train journeys of his childhood and Matt Adkins explains why a traffic roundabout was his salvation.Producer: Harry Parker.

2/1/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir talk to singer/songwriter Tracey Thorn.

1/25/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

Suzy Klein and JP Devlin with BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz who talks about his unpromising beginnings in the arts and a project to find the Art of the Nation. Appropriately they also hear the Inheritance Tracks of popular artist Jack Vettriano and why the mandolin is so widespread from musician Simon Mayor. Zoe Lemon tells what happened to a message in a bottle she threw into the sea twenty three years ago and Brian Conaghan explains how the late diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome affected his life. Princess Michael of Kent reveals a secret passion for singing and Jan Prebble reveals her secret passion - a married man whose his clandestine mistress she was for over forty years. And there are the unspoken thanks of listeners, spoken at last.Producer: Harry Parker.

1/18/2014 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Writer and comedian Rob Newman joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein to talk about his return to comedy. His latest show - Rob Newman's New Theory of Evolution - looks at the controversies surrounding evolutionary biology and is his first complete show in 7 years.Also on the programme, forget the 7.39am, we meet two commuters who met and fell in love on the 5.35am from Gillingham, Dorset to London Waterloo. As a memento of the moment when lightning struck they have the train seats they were sitting on ensconced in their front room.We also speak to a couple of recently arrived economic migrants - one from Bulgaria and one from Romania - about why they decided to move to the UK, the twins who were big in post war entertainment and the teenager trying to singlehandedly revive punk rock. Author Horatio Clare tells us about his year spent as the writer in residence on a cargo ship, with the Inheritance Tracks of journalist Kate Adie.Producer: Alex Lewis.

1/11/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with lawyer and founder of the Rosenblatt Opera Recitals Ian Rosenblatt, the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Jennifer Saunders, the story of Roger Mason who along with a friend and fellow veterinary surgeon, took much needed animals to the Falkland Islands after the 1982 War in an old converted fishing boat, the delights of Riga in Latvia with travel writer Adrian Mourby, one of Britain's leading forensic scientists, Mike Silverman, talking about a life in forensics, poems from Kate Fox and JP Devlin meets a Second World War meteorologist.Producer Chris Wilson.

1/4/2014 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Anita Anand and JP Devlin with philosopher Angie Hobbs, poet Murray Lachlan Young, 11 year old popster Fynnjan Leach-Verhoeven and his mum Su, Saturday Live listener Ted Chance who made it into the Culture Club Christmas video in 1983, international football coach Paul Watson, 4th generation Salvation Army member Janet Martin, Andy Miller who's just finished a song he started 35 years ago, and the Inheritance Tracks of Boycie from Only Fools and Horses.Producer Dixi Stewart.

12/28/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand meet Britain's leading lyricist Don Black who has worked with most of the top songwriters and composers including John Barry and Andrew Lloyd Webber and put words in the mouths of everyone from Matt Monro to Michael Jackson. 'Lost' actor Jeff Fahey tells about his work with refugees in Syria, the woman who invented the phrase explains why a dog is for life not just for Christmas, and we hear how the world's wackiest records are checked out in South America. Plus your Thanks and Sir Cliff Richard's Inheritance Tracks.

12/21/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 59 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with author, journalist and educational adviser Dreda Say Mitchell. They are also joined by listeners Sarah and Mark Horsburgh on their experience of offering respite foster care. We travel to Nottingham with John McCarthy on the trail of Alan Sillitoe, meet two lads who tell of a chance encounter with Nelson Mandela and Doreen Lawrence's Inheritance Tracks.Producer Alex Lewis.

12/14/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein meet novelist Michael Arditti who talks about faith and the novel, nearly dying after eating goats cheese and his travels around the Philippines researching a book, enjoy the Inheritance Tracks of Judith Kerr who wrote and illustrated, amongst other things, The Tiger Who Came To Tea, talk to Melvyn Evans who fought in Aden in the 1960's and realised, 40 years later, that he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and hear from Joe Glackin, a former priest who worked in Liberia with child soldiers and street children. There's more travel with Professor Cathy Warwick CBE, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, who organises midwifery tours of South Africa, a celebration of Martin Wright, the inventor of the peak flow meter, and JP Devlin travels to the recently announced City of Culture 2017, Hull, where he meets some of the locals.Producer: Chris Wilson.

12/7/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand with chef and restaurateur Rick Stein who tells of the ups and downs of his life, the Inheritance Tracks of Canadian author Margaret Atwood and traveller Tim Cope's tales of his journey on the trail of Genghis Khan. Teacher Guy Tarrant talks about the items that teachers have confiscated from pupils and Steve Rodgers, a fourth generation fisherman from Devon, joins Richard and Anita with his personal recollections of life on the sea and the future of fishing and we hear the latest on Fynnjan Leach-Verhoeven the boy with Aspergers who has made a Christmas single.Producer Harry Parker.

11/30/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand with Kids Company Founder Camila Batmanghelidjh, The Inheritance Tracks of Charlie Higson, JP Devlin waxing lyrical with actress Joan Collins, the willowy sound of a cricket bat being fashioned, Ben Markus who was given, maybe, 12 months to live in January 2012 on finding love and the strength to KBO ( keep battling on ), topical poetry from Luke Wright and John McCarthy is joined by London writer Travis Elborough on a trail through the capital to see the sites of sights you can't see any more. They don't see the Euston Arch, old London Bridge, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens or Battersea Park Funfair.Producer Chris Wilson.

11/23/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with poet Owen Sheers, Guantanamo artist Molly Crabapple, South Seas travellers Rosemary and Douglas Hadfield, 17 year old Lauren who found herself without a home, Elisa Berry who found herself looking after JFK's nieces on the day he was assassinated, and actor Mat Horne's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

11/16/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand with neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield talking about her life and work, Julie Bailey who campaigned for reform after her Mother died at Stafford Hospital and who has been hounded from her Stafford home and business, 'Lorna' who lives in Belfast, was in care from around 14 years of age and now volunteers with a Children in Need project that helps others in care, and Diccon Bewes who has followed in the diary footsteps of Miss Jemima Morrell from Selby in Yorkshire, who took an 1863 tour of Switzerland organised by Thomas Cook. JP Devlin visits the village of Herbrandston in Wales which is a doubly 'Thankful Village'- all the village soldiers returned from both World Wars. Back in the studio, Medwyn Parry talks about his motorbike ride to 51 Thankful Villages in the UK- and tells of two new ones discovered recently. And Gary Barlow shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Chris Wilson.

11/9/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand meet singer Linda Nolan who talks about how she turned to the Samaritans at low points in her life. They hear the Inheritance Tracks of Richard Eyre and the meditative sound of singing bowls. A refugee from Afghanistan explains how he got to Britain and a father and son tell of their adventures all over Britain. A daughter reveals her parent's surprising secret and we get a glimpse behind the scenes at a peace camp.Producer: Harry Parker.

11/2/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with Horrible Histories author Terry Deary whose new adult history book is about the Roman Empire and whose play, Barmy Britain Part Two!, is on at the Garrick Theatre in London.They also talk to Jonny Mitchell, Head Teacher at the Thornhill Academy in Dewsbury and the subject of Channel 4's series 'Educating Yorkshire', Henry and Ingrid Wuga, Kindertransport refugees in 1939 who met and married in Glasgow and still live there together aged 89 and Barnaby Rogerson who runs Eland Publishing which specialises in keeping classic travel books in print. They hear from local people in Sunderland as part of a JP Devlin crowdscape, find out about ten-year old Fynnjan who has Aspergers, and his Mum, who are trying to get the song and music he's written to Christmas No1 in the charts whilst raising money for charity and listen to writer Khaled Hosseini's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Chris Wilson.

10/26/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein meet space scientist Maggie Aderin-Poco*ck, a female trainee astronaut from the early 1960s, Jerri Truhill, and amateur rocketeer John Jacomb. Matt Eagles explains what is like to have had Parkinson's disease since the age of eight, Matthew Baylis tells the story of the cult religions of Vanuatu and June Lady Chichester enthuses about camels. MOBO founder Kanya King picks her Inheritance Tracks.

10/19/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with writer Neil Gaiman, Matilda Tristram who discovered she had cancer when she was 17 weeks pregnant and decided to tell her story in a comic strip, Jazz Summers who spent 10 years trying to get out of the army, and John Levene who played the Yeti in the newly rediscovered episodes of Doctor Who. Musician Tori Amos reveals her Secret Life, The Comic Strip's Lana Pillay shares Inheritance Tracks, and John McCarthy goes to Cornwall to meet the Germans on the trail of Rosamund Pilcher.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

10/12/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 52 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand with guest Richard Osman, John McCarthy taking a trip on the sleeper train to Cornwall, writer and quiz lover Stevyn Colgan on his time as a member of Scotland Yard's 'Problem Solving Unit', Ian Tibbets on pioneering surgery that saved his sight and enabled him to see his two sons for the first time, sisters June Smith and April Scott on the Devon dialect, Neville Hume who still uses his Grandfather's 130 year old gardening tools and The Inheritance Tracks of actress Rula Lenska.

10/5/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand's guest's have a wide age range with one aged 89 and another aged 12 . They meet panel game chairman extraordinaire Nicholas Parsons and take a look at some lesser known aspects of his life. We hear the Inheritance Tracks of country singer Steve Earle, trace the fate of a GI bride, explore off-limits cityscapes with an urban explorer and discover what it's like to be a young woman in an old man's industry. Plus there's a glimpse of into how a young boy came to play an old panel game.

9/28/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 49 seconds

Anita Anand and JP Devlin talk to Andi Peters, television presenter, voice actor and media executive, puppeteer Nigel Plaskitt who has worked on Spitting Image, Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet and is the man behind the PG Tips Monkey, Robin Mackness, one of the first people to import, in significant numbers, duvets to the UK, thus helping to change the bedroom habits of millions, John Ironmonger whose travels have deepened a love of leeches and rhinos, revel in the Inheritance Tracks of Aggie McKenzie, former M16 operative turned presenter of 'How Clean is Your House' and 'Storage Hoarders' and spend the day with the Brownlee Brothers who talk about their relationship, Yorkshire and the desire to win.

9/21/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand are joined by historian and broadcaster, Bettany Hughes who talks about her love of history, cricket and Istanbul, Dr Robert Poole who explains what happened on September 14th 1752 when Britain changed from a Julian calendar to a Gregorian calendar and Jess Herman who tells us about her work with Nicaraguan street children. They also hear a 'Sound Sculpture' of a Spitfire's Merlin engine described by Britain's only female Spitfire pilot Carolyn Grace, explore Andrew Johnston's attic in 'The Thing About Me' where he discovers pictorial maps by his Uncle MacDonald 'Max' Gill, listen to the 'Inheritance Tracks' of former SAS soldier Chris Ryan and travel to Durham with John McCarthy to see the Lindisfarne Gospels in a major exhibition at Durham University's Palace Green Library.Producer: Chris Wilson.

9/14/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand are joined by author, Philip Pullman, wildlife rescuer, Trevor Weeks and upcoming young actor, Sarah Gordy who was born with Downs syndrome, and her mother, Jane. Choreographer Richard Alston choses his Inheritance Tracks, there's a visit to Betty's Reading Room on Orkney, a school Bell soundscape and Geoff Baker talks about the bid to break the British record of guitars playing in unison on the beach at Lyme Regis. JP Devlin fields your calls and emails.Producer: Dilly Barlow.

9/7/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by writer and broadcaster, Michael Rosen, former SOE operative Noreen Riols and senior surgeon David Nott who talks about working in war and disaster zones. They hear the Inheritance Tracks of cook, writer and broadcaster Simon Hopkinson, the soothing sounds of a chess clock and share the memories of Edith Lee-Payne who was 12 and present when Martin Luther King made his famous speech.Producer: Chris Wilson.

8/31/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Anita Anand talk to actress Anna Chancellor, sample the delights of Georgian Pleasures with Professor Elaine Chalus, savour the bucolic, car-free life on Sark with restaurateur Elizabeth Perrée, hear the Inheritance Tracks of singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke, discover how glove-makers to the Queen, Andrew and Genevieve James, practice their craft, find out what the thing is about the "real" Paddy O'Connell from Skibbereen, County Cork and that other irrepressible Irishman, JP Devlin fields your phone calls and emails and hears your stories.Producer: Dilly Barlow.

8/24/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein entertain musician and broadcaster, Tom Robinson, hear the Inheritance Tracks of Django Bates, meet Simon Hood who cycled to every York City Football Club match over a whole season and Nina Wilson who cycled to every town and village in Norfolk, examine the allure of beer with beer sommelier Jane Peyton, talk to the last surviving British 'Dam Buster' George 'Johnny' Johnson and immerse themselves in the genteel atmosphere of Morecambe as JP Devlin meets people from the town for a Saturday Live 'Crowdscape'Producer: Chris Wilson.

8/17/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Richard Coles and J P Devlin with actor Robin Ellis aka Poldark.He talks about his former role as the dashing Ross Poldark and about his newer-found role as a cookery writer. We have the Inheritance Tracks of KT Tunstall. John McCarthy meets cartoonist, novelist, and jazz musician Barry Fantoni in his home town of Calais.Rory McPhee savours the joys of seaweed, and Angelique Todd talks about her extraordinary life amongst the mountain gorillas of central Africa.

8/10/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein with violinist Nigel Kennedy, Lindsey Davis' Inheritance Tracks, cloud spotter Gavin Pretor-Pinney, beatboxer Shlomo and mouth-painter Barry West. Adrenalin junky pensioners Sylvia and Dennis Bloor on their love of rollercoasters and a mum who turned to the Beano to help her daughter's dyslexia.Producer: Debbie Sheringham.

8/3/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles meet Charles Saumarez Smith of the Royal Academy of Arts.

7/27/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with actor and comedian Lenny Henry, The Inheritance Tracks of former footballer Cyrille Regis, forensic anthropologist Heather Bonney, The Queen of Yorkshire Comedy, Jo Little on Cromer Pier, John McCarthy travels round the Lake District in Mike Hardings camper van and JP Devlin with a crowdscape from Dudley.Producer: Chris Wilson.

7/20/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with broadcaster, actor and writer Michael Palin, the Inheritance Tracks of Arthur Brown, orchid expert David Lang who explores the Dalai Lama's garden, Antoinette Haselhorst reflecting on her photographs of Nelson Mandela- who also bought her childhood home, JP Devlin out in Worcestershire hunting for moles with Mickey the Mole Catcher, a young Lithuanian accordionist professing his love for the wobbly keyboard and listeners sharing their thanks for past kindnesses.Producer: Chris Wilson.

7/13/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with film and television composer Debbie Wiseman and the Inheritance Tracks of Griff Rhys Jones. John McCarthy meets co-operative walkers in the Lake District, twins Marcus and Alex Lewis reveal the effect of an abusive upbringing on their memories, Rosa Rebecka relates the appeal of a hand-me-down guitar and John Viney tells what it's like to be a mystery shopper. As usual there are the thank you messages of listeners this week with a haggis flavoured anecdote.

7/6/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with singer Barb Jungr, the Inheritance Tracks of Otis Williams the co-founder of Motown wonders the Temptations, a crowdscape from Rochdale, non-operatic sounds from Glyndebourne, a story of survival on a sinking cruise ship, and sussex bats with bat conservationist Jenny Clark. Also, John McCarthy meets a mountain rescue team in the Lake DistrictProducer: Chris Wilson.

6/29/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with writer and comedian Viv Groskop, the Inheritance Tracks of actor Paul Nicholas, author Sara Wheeler's first attempts to learn Russian and the sounds of a balalaika band. There's Angela's story of a broken family healed, David Chilvers's sighting of the world's first cosmonaut and Professor Carole Hough reveals what our names tell us about our origins.Producer: Harry Parker.

6/22/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with festival director and writer James Runcie, a visit to the Birmingham Model Engineering Society, the secret life of Yvette Fielding, The Inheritance Tracks of George Benson, Adrian Laing on growing up with a famous father, psychiatrist R.D. Laing, the award winning wildlife cameraman and photographer Doug Allan on the pleasures of adventure travel and diving with his son Liam and 16 year old scientist Jack Andraka, who's invented a landmark new test for pancreatic cancer.Producer: Chris Wilson.

6/15/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with broadcaster Trevor Nelson, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and Neil Ansell who chose a life of poverty. The Inheritance Tracks of actor Alex Jennings, John McCarthy visits a secret urban garden and Kate Fox provides poetry. Listeners share their stories of a stolen stamp collection and a love affair with the ZX Spectrum computer and offer their thanks to strangers near and far.Producer: Debbie Sheringham.

6/8/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with traveller Paul Theroux, Lucinda Lambton at Heathrow, John McCarthy in Painswick and Jamie Cullum's Inheritance Tracks. There are stories from a mother whose husband is serving life for killing their children, the 105 year old author as well as the glory that is Coronation Chicken and your Thank YousProducer: Harry Parker.

6/1/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles and Sandi Toksvig with maritime and naval historian Brian Lavery, the Inheritance Tracks of Caroline Quentin, the sound of Anita Tedder's coffee grinder, Harriet Tuckey talking about her father's unsung and pivotal role in the 1953 Everest expedition, Jake Wilson who played songs inspired by Captain Scott's diary in the actual hut Scott and his team set off from on their South Pole adventure, John McCarthy exploring the hidden tunnels and grottoes of Dewstow Gardens near Chepstow and Iain MacNeil, a former mariner and current MD of the oldest English language publishers in the World- Witherbys.Producer: Chris Wilson.

5/25/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with writer Caitlin Moran, poet Murray Lachlan Young, and Andy Miller and his recording of Jimi Hendrix & Jim Morrison playing together. John McCarthy travels to Kosovo, JP Devlin drops in on Wolverhampton, listeners Joy Jones and Gillian Scott-Wood explain why their family has been sending each other the same birthday card for 64 years & Bonnie Tyler shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

5/18/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Sian Williams and Aasmah Mir talk to US political philosopher Michael Sandel who argues that how much we define society by monetary value challenges the very core of our moral selves. Sian and Aasmah also explore notions of death- not in any morbid sense- but firstly with JP Devlin who brings us a 'guerrilla report' from Nunhead Cemetery in London. And secondly they find out about the increasingly popular 'Death Cafés where people meet for tea, cake and a jolly discussion about mortality, all run by Jon Underwood who feels we don't talk about death half enough. Then they meet child genius Jacob Barnett and his Mum Kristine. Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein and has been confounding academics and scientists with his knowledge of astrophysics since he was 3. Now, at 14, he's working on extending the theory of relativity. In our 'sound sculpture', we hear the doleful sounds of the harmonium- loved and restored by folk musician Pete Roe and we enjoy The Inheritance Tracks of American legend Don McLean. Finally, Sian and Aasmah travel in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie with Gregor Ewing and his border collie Meg- who carries her own rucksack. Good dog.Producer: Chris Wilson.

5/11/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 6 seconds

Sian Williams & JP Devlin with Dame Evelyn Glennie, teenage novelist Beth Reekles and her mum Claire, and snooker player Katie Henrick. Gardener Monty Don takes a Daytrip to the Courtauld Institute in London to look at Cezanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire; travel writer Sara Wheeler explores Dundee; son of Skegness Mark Johnson explains how he became the voice of the Kentucky Derby; & Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

5/4/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 45 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with broadcaster and composer Howard Goodall, the Inheritance Tracks of cookery writer Mary Berry, a visit to Kosovo with John McCarthy, a trip around Sussex admiring stiles in the company of the Monday Group who build and maintain them, a chat with opera singer Nicky Spence who turned down a million pound contract, local newspaperman and lifelong Newcastle United fan John Gibson talking about his life and work, and a jolly singalong in a public house. Producer: Chris Wilson.

4/27/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with the writer Eoin Colfer, poet Luke Wright, strict grammarian Mr Gwynne, and a father and son dealing with facial disfigurement. There's travel with Ben Fogle, young butcher Charlotte Harbottle describes her favourite sound, Pippa Diggle explains how she came to be the subject of an iconic Norman Parkinson photograph, and Petula Clark shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Debbie Sheringham.

4/20/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with author Lindsey Davis, creator of the much loved Roman detective 'Falco', the Inheritance Tracks of Graham Fellows- the creator of John Shuttleworth-the story of Dorit Oliver-Wolff who hid in Budapest during WW2, became a famous singer and now tours schools telling young people about her experiences, Ben Fogle exploring explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell's house, the pleasure of digging with trowels and conductor John Lubbock founder of the Orchestra of St John talking about the importance of taking music out in the every nook and cranny of the community.Producer: Chris Wilson.

4/13/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams with actress Imogen Stubbs, and poet Mr Gee. There's a Thing About Me feature about Mary Horsley's Rolling Stones LP, Maire Doyle from York tells the story of finding a bundle of her parents' love letters, Clare Scott explains how she moved house by barge, Frank Griffiths recalls stumbling onto a filmset with Richard Burton and Sophia Loren, Saturday live listeners say thank you for random acts of kindness and Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

4/6/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Suzy Klein and JP Devlin with author Sebastian Faulks; Kerry Katona's Inheritance Tracks; resuscitation doctor Sam Parnia, traveller Olly Burton on Senegalese music, John Edser on being part of Dr Beeching's team who changed the map of the British Rail Network, Judith Bowen who has as 56 year old Easter egg and Phil Gould and Glyn Shipman on their tribute songs to Cremola.Producer: Harry Parker.

3/30/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams with author Mark Haddon, Will Hadcroft who has Asperger's, and Richard & Alison Warden who remarried each other after 50 years. Travel Writer Sara Wheeler takes a tour of Dunfermline, two Southend schoolgirls explain why they wish they'd grown up in the 80s, there's a Soundsculpture of rowing, Saturday live listeners say thank you for random acts of kindness and Duran Duran's John Taylor shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

3/23/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 13 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams talk to Alain de Botton about his new 'Manifesto for Atheists' and his desire to popularise challenging subjects like science, philosophy and architecture- amongst other things. They hear from two former Birmingham gang members about how they got out of the vicious cycle of gang life, meet Devon based composer David Haines and find out about how he brings popular engagement with science through song- he's the songwriter in residence at the MIT science festival in the US in a few weeks time, thrill to a Saturday Live Society: this week the 'Friends of the Newport Ship' who rescued, conserved and now plan to rebuild a 15th ship found when the orchestra pit for a theatre was being dug next to the river Usk in Newport, Wales, listen to Welsh rugby legend J.J. Williams as he shares his Inheritance Tracks and journey with John McCarthy to the Watts Gallery in Compton Surrey to explore the largely forgotten genius of Victorian artist, GF Watts.Producer: Chris Wilson.

3/16/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 19 seconds

Sian Williams and JP Devlin with businesswoman and Director of the Football Association, Heather Rabbatts; a young woman from the Easterhouse estate in Glasgow who went from being a notorious bad girl to helping other young people turn their lives around, David St John who is the UK's most prolific TV Quiz contestant, and Anthony Cooper who maps sink holes in the UK. There's a Soundsculpture of dressmakers scissors, and a Thing About Me feature from baritone Christopher Purves. Inheritance Tracks are from footballer and pundit Robbie Savage.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

3/9/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with writer and broadcaster Judy Finnigan, Adam who suffers from auditory verbal hallucinations- hearing voices, poetry from Kate Fox, a glimpse inside the film 'Lincoln' with one of the historical advisors Professor Catherine Clinton, a sound sculpture from a Cornish cave, The Thing about Me- a listener's momento from Stalag Luft lll ( The Great Escape ) is a wooden dog and The Inheritance Tracks of Jeff Lynne from ELO Producer: Chris Wilson.

3/2/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with Deborah Moggach, co*cktail pianist Cathy Kinley and former city trader Geraint Anderson. Sara Wheeler visits the Forth Rail Bridge and Ian Hunter shares his Inheritance Tracks .Producer: Harry Parker.

2/23/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with musician Billy Bragg who also plays live; Bernadette Russell who did a good deed every day for a year and photographer Giles Duley who lost three limbs on assignment in Afghanistan. John McCarthy looks in on the Arirang Games in North Korea, composer Debbie Wiseman plays snooker with JP Devlin; a listener tells us about her discovery of Chicken Spectacles and writer and broadcaster Dawn O'Porter shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Corinna Jones.

2/16/2013 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with Dr Michael Dixon, the Director of the Natural History Museum, The Inheritance Tracks of singer Katie Melua, the sounds of a 20 ton Wurlitzer organ in a Chorleywood living room, a trip around the Powell-Cotton Museum in Kent, a ramble up and across Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, the story of a woman who was abandoned in Hong Kong as a baby in the 1960's and sent to the UK for adoption, a couple with Albinism discussing their condition and JP Devlin talking to a grateful nation.Producer: Chris Wilson.

2/9/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 19 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles live from the BBC Radio Theatre in London's Broadcasting House with screenwriter & director Richard Curtis, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Annie Hutchinson who arrived in the UK 10 years ago with just £62 to her name and is now turning neglected houses into comfortable homes for children and their families, and Edward Adoo whose love of London buses led him to a career as a DJ. John McCarthy talks to Antarctic explorer Meredith Hooper, Sylvia Hopwood describes the sound of Star Ferry bell in Hong Kong, comedian Ben Elton shares his Inheritance Tracks and JP Devlin mingles with the crowds.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

2/2/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with comedian and writer Sean Hughes, 100 year old Violet Coleman palliative care nurse Katherine Hopkins, and Marc Roberts who had brain surgery while fully conscious. There's a feature on the British Water Tower Appreciation Society, John McCarthy with explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison, a Crowdscape from Portsmouth and Tamasin Day-Lewis's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Harry Parker.

1/26/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Richard Coles and Sian Williams talk to cartoonist Martin Rowson, hear from Jess Eaton, an artist who reconstructs road kill as fashion items, speak to Stephen Hook, the Sussex dairy farmer who's the star of a film at the Sundance Festival in Utah, listen to the wonderful warbling of a whistling busker on the London Underground, enjoy the Inheritance Tracks of Radio 4's Charlotte Green who is leaving the BBC after a distinguished career, revel in the quiet spaces of London with John McCarthy and sail into the sunset with Commodore Mark Wiggins as he describes his 200 year old sextantProducer Chris Wilson.

1/19/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams with former Attorney General Baroness Scotland, art detective Christopher Marinello who has recently recovered a Matisse that has been missing for 25 years, and Giselle Eagle and Richard Brown who are about to be castaway on a remote island. JP Devlin takes a Daytrip with Arlene Phillips CBE, and Patricia Purvis tells the story of a locket lost and found. John McCarthy goes in search of the bits of Stratford-upon-Avon that aren't dominated by Shakespeare and director Trevor Nunn shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

1/12/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams with businesswoman and lawyer Margaret Mountford, plus an actress who lost lots of weight and then found her work had dried up, the Inheritance Tracks of Madness front man Suggs, a look behind the scenes at 'The Famous' a menswear shop in Cheltenham that's closing its doors after 126 years, a builder whose family company is still around after 422 years, the evocative sound of an Italian coffee machine, Benedict Allen talking to his cousin Charles about their mutual lives in travel and a man who knows a great deal about paper.Producer: Chris Wilson.

1/5/2013 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 21 seconds

John McCarthy and Suzy Klein with journalist and broadcaster Aggie MacKenzie, Martin Green who was Head of Ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics and Andrew Parker who was 'the human bridge' during the Zeebrugge ferry disaster. Felicity Finch reveals the Secret Life of the Archers, poet Luke Wright offers a festive rhyme, travel writer Adrian Mourby describes Kosice, one of the 2013 European Capitals of Culture, singer Ralph McTell takes us by the hand and leads us through the streets of London, and celebrity astrologer Russell Grant shares his Inheritance TracksProducer: Dixi Stewart.

12/29/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes

Sian Williams and Richard Coles talk to actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar who's appearing in a Christmas TV special of 'Outnumbered', hold a poetry prescription surgery to solicit listeners requests for poems about solitude with William Seighart the founder of National Poetry Day, hear from Derek Amato who hit his head in a swimming accident, lost part of his memory and awoke able to play the piano brilliantly, dig the furious sound of the 'fuzz box' in our regular feature 'soundsculpture', listen to the thoughts of soldiers at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit who are recovering from injuries sustained on active duty, listen to Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson's Inheritance Tracks, thrill to the atmosphere of Hawksmoor Churches in East London, with John McCarthy and writer Iain Sinclair, and jump with joy to John Sessions' imagining Al Pacino at Christmas.Producer: Chris Wilson.

12/22/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 16 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with comedian Lee Mack talking about his life before and after he made it as comic and Paul O'Grady on his enthusiasm for home remedies. Paul Hodgkinson walked to all 92 Football League grounds as his sight deteriorated and John McCarthy travelled on Leighton Buzzard's miniature steam railway with travel writer Monisha Rajesh who journeyed round India by train. Michael Sanderson explains why he stockpiles goods and necessities for a terrible eventuality, Ruth Keeling tells why she is never without her Granny's sewing kit and the actor Fiona Shaw chooses her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Harry Parker.

12/15/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 12 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles meet Pam Ayres, talk to artist Annie Morgan who can't stop painting, etching and sculpting- a compulsion that began after she tried to take her own life by jumping under a train, hear from former Flt Lt Alan Pollock who remembers his time in the RAF- he abruptly left in 1968 having decided to fly his Hunter fighter bomber under Tower Bridge on the river Thames, follow up on last week's discussion about squatting with former squatter Rosie Ellis, find out why on earth J.P. Devlin went to Hackney with Les McKeown of The Bay City Rollers, swoon to Neil Sedaka's Inheritance Tracks and thrill to Benedict Allen musing on the pleasures of 'dangerous' travel.Producer: Chris Wilson.

12/8/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with broadcaster Richard Madeley, and a man who's spent many years pretending to be him and his 'Uncle' Stan Madeley, a woman who believes the secret to happiness lies in the Hawaiian hula dance, a rock and roll history in poetic form from Murray Lachlan Young, a father and son who've revived the sound and style of the original Proms orchestra, a couple who have both been diagnosed with terminal diseases, John McCarthy in Maastricht and the Inheritance Tracks of musician and activist Nona Hendryx.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

12/1/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 26 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles talk to comic, writer, children's author, winner of celebrity masterchef and fan of noir Danish cop show 'The Killing', Emma Kennedy, hear about former investment banker and farmer Jan McCourt's 'love letter' to the NHS after he narrowly escaped death under the wheels of his own tractor, remember the first ordination of women in the Church of England with the Revered Jane Hayward, squeal as JP Devlin recreates James Bond's wet shave with a cut throat razor, enjoy the metronomic pleasure of a listener's clock built by their father, travel to Maastricht with John McCarthy and listen to Sir John Major's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Chris Wilson.

11/24/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 24 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with crime writer Val McDermid and ex-offender Junior Smart who is helping gangsters escape a life of crime, Tony Lynn investigates the mystery of the Saltburn yarnbomber, broadcaster Jeremy Vine talks about his early career on Drainpipe Radio, TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson reveals her Secret Life, John McCarthy continues his exploration of Utrecht and Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewartv.

11/17/2012 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles talk to tenor Alfie Boe, find out about a World War Two Lancaster Bomber airman's letter from his daughter which was lost in France during the War then found again, hear from the British Legion's youngest member, talk to a man who has recorded everyday day of his son's 21 years with a camera, shudder to the sound of a TVR sports car exhaust, thrill to the commanding presence of a circus ringmaster, enjoy Andrew Motion's Inheritance Tracks and travel with John McCarthy to Utrecht.Producer: Chris Wilson.

11/10/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles and JP Devlin with actress and impressionist Jan Ravens Producer: Harry Parker.

11/3/2012 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams meet TV screenwriter and producer Phil Redmond, hear the story of Addisu Demissie and Junaid Jemal Sendi, two professional Ethiopian dancers and choreographers who used a dance project to move from the harsh streets of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to London's West End, share the sound sculpture of listener Lynn Tolmon who rejoices in the evocative squeak of a Victorian gate latch in Anfield, talk to Sean Enright who was held hostage at gunpoint in a London street, thrill to the recollections of the current owner of ventriloquist dummy Archie Andrews, listen to poetry from Newcastle with poet Kate Fox and revel in Hazel O Connor's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Chris Wilson.

10/27/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 16 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with author, playwright and poet Michael Morpurgo, Jane Esuantsiwa Goldsmith who went to Ghana to find her father and ended up being anointed Queen Mother of Akoanso village, Northumbrian dialect poet Raymond Reed, and animal movement coach Peter Elliott. John McCarthy continues his romantic tour of the Wye Valley, best-selling crime writer Peter James takes a stroll through Brighton's dark underbelly and actor and comedian Lenny Henry shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

10/20/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

On Saturday Live this week the Reverend Richard Coles and Sian Williams talk to broadcaster and comedian Robin Ince about science, art and rationalism, find out how Martin Spinelli coped with the car crash that killed his wife and nearly killed his young son, explore psychiatrist R.D. Laing's experiment at the Kingsley Hall commune in the 1960's with a patient who spent 4 years there, reunite a former policeman with his former police Ford Cortina, travel with John McCarthy along the Wye Valley- this week from Ross On Wye to Monmouth, revel in the sound of the potter's wheel with Duffy Bocking and share Hugh Masekela's Inheritance Tracks.Produced by Chris Wilson.

10/13/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams with performer Jackie Clune, Rob Manuel who turned carnivore after 15 years of vegetarianism, Courtney Stewart who is turning the New Testament into Jamaican, and Sylvia Hillier and Jenni Evennett who as teenagers hopped on board the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour bus. JP goes stargazing with comedian and impressionist Jon Culshaw, and plays conkers with poet Luke Wright, John McCarthy explores Thorpeness and Ralph McTell shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

10/6/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9 seconds

Richard Coles and Sian Williams meet author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz, talk to Dolores O'Reilly who grew up signing for her deaf and mute parents, rack their brains with Italian memory man Gianni Golfera, and get rhyming with National Poetry Day founder William Sieghart. There's a Thing About Me feature about the UK's oldest working computer and an appreciation of spiders from Lawrence Bee of the British Arachnological Society. John McCarthy explores Martello Towers on the East coast of England and actress Frances de la Tour shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Chris Wilson.

9/29/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 8 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with cook and food historian Clarissa Dickson Wright, Daniel Bond and Stacey Drinkwater who can't afford a house so they live on a double-decker bus, Linda Cruse who experienced a bout of blindness which changed her life, and former Captain of the QE2, Nick Bates, who describes life on the ocean wave. There's a Sound Sculpture of a rugby ball from Andy Challis, a paean to the Cornish pasty from Murray Lachlan Young, and John McCarthy on location in Lyme Regis. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of the King of Calypso, Harry Belafonte.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

9/22/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 1 second

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with studio guest Charlie Higson and the extraordinary transgender love story of Victoria and Emma Cantons. Conservative Michael Ashcroft shows off his medal collection, we debate rites of passage for one mum and her son, the inheritance tracks of former politician Tony Benn and John McCarthy visits Kent! Producer Lisa Jenkinson.

9/15/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 10 seconds

Sian Williams and John McCarthy with studio guest Edwina Currie reflecting on her public and personal life, two very different attitudes to burial from Mark Elliott and Wendii Miller, Spanish author Javier Marias who is the literary and literal king of the micronation Redonda, the pros and cons of procrastination from Steve Swift, Talitha MacKenzie on why her song caught on in Serbia, the musings of Mancunians and the Inheritance Tracks of Big Issue founder John Bird. Producer: Harry Parker.

9/8/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Suzy Klein and Richard Coles with studio guest Lynda Bellingham. This weekend in 1939 more than 400,000 pets were killed at the outbreak of World Ward Two. We talk to Dr Hilda Kean who's researched this forgotten piece of history. Fifteen years ago Philippe Kahn invented the camera phone which has revolutionised the way we view the world and communicate. Nicholas McCarthy, who has only one hand, talks about his life as a concert pianist, Sally Pearson shares her experience of waking up on the operating table, Singer Clare Grogan takes a daytrip around North London with JP Devlin, and the Inheritance Tracks of blues guitarist Robert Cray. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

9/1/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Sian Williams & John McCarthy with archaeologist and broadcaster Neil Oliver; Anthony Weir tells the story of his failed attempt to live with a pygmy tribe; open-water swimmer Anne Marie Ward reveals her plans to swim the Bering Straits; Alison describes her experience of living with face-blindness; Jackie Palmer explains why she loves the sound of a telephone exchange; a group of former Spitfire pilots share their wartime memories, and actress Emma Thompson shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Harry Parker.

8/25/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Richard Coles & John McCarthy with actress Tamsin Greig; listener Lalage Cambell who sealed a friendship thanks to a washed-up wallet; Sally Becker, aka the Angel of Mostar, who carried the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremony; Sophie and Louis Staley who organised their parents' wedding; and Dan Fox who sprang his friend from a Kabul gaol with the aid of a kipper tie. We meet the 90 year old Tottenham barber whose shop was trashed during last year's riots, JP Devlin gets a tour of The Kinks recording studio with frontman Ray Davies; and piano prodigy Benjamin Grosvenor shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

8/18/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Richard Coles & John McCarthy with broadcaster Joan Bakewell; listener Kirsteen Steel who turned detective to recover her father's stolen submarine bell; Jeremy Marks who in the 1980s ran a course to help gay people suppress their sexuality; moon rock investigator Joe Gutheinz; Olympic cycling pace setter Peter Deary; JP Devlin talks to the last surviving crew member of the Enola Gay which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima; there's a poem from the Edinburgh Festival; and agony aunt and author Virginia Ironside shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

8/11/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 4 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles live from the Olympics with newsman turned novelist Gerald Seymour, and James Partridge who founded of the disfigurement charity Changing Faces; JP Devlin mingles with the Olympic crowds; archer Tony George sets us aquiver with his Sound Sculpture; listener Arnold Gordon tells the tale of singing along to Over The Rainbow with Judy Garland in a bar during the Tokyo Olympics; John McCarthy gets out his bucket and spade in Weymouth; and Olympic athlete turned politician Ming Campbell shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

8/4/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Suzy Klein and Richard Coles with boxer Barry McGuigan. Radio 4's Zeb Soanes on his path to recovery after suffering a paralysed vocal chord. Inheritance Tracks from Leo Sayer, update from Hazel Parry on her trip to the Congo where her parents were murdered in the sixties. Foundling Andrew Rowan on finding out about his roots and making contact with his half brother Ronnie Finlayson, a guerrilla report on the tattoo industry, John McCarthy takes a barge on the Trent and Mersey canal, World Open Water Swimming Woman of the year Anne Marie Ward.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

7/28/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 7 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson; former beautician Georgina Blackwell who took on a local legal battle and has just graduated with a First in Law; Azzy B who is now friends with the boy he used to bully; Peggy Chadwick who secretly took the place of her twin sister in the choir at the closing ceremony of the 1948 Olympics; John McCarthy goes punting in Cambridge; Anne Jones explains why a snuff box is the thing about her; Michael Turner describes how he's travelled the world in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake; and pop star Gary Kemp shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

7/21/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 20 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with artist Grayson Perry; John McCarthy in revolutionary France; Ruth Ellis' nephew Mick Shepherd; JP Devlin meets naturist Emma James; Chris Tribe's Sound Sculpture of a hand-plane; Sylvie Dare's story of being rescued from a plane crash as a baby; Olympic Black Power athlete John Carlos' Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

7/14/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 17 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with commentator and classicist Mary Beard; Namira Salim who's set to be one of the world's first space tourists; Phillippa Yaa De Villiers who was born mixed-race but brought up as white in apartheid South Africa; listener Owen Ephraim who worked with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park; John McCarthy goes biking with travel writer Ted Simon; JP Devlin meets cave collector Jim Gardner; listener Sally Townsend explains why a red fox fur coat is the thing about her; and actress and singer Olivia Newton John shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

7/7/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 22 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with author and arts champion Sir Christopher Frayling, Steve Marsling and Sean Hosey tell the story of their lives as undercover ANC recruits; listener Rupert Horrox describes how he chanced on a film set and ended up on the red carpet; listener Gail Simmons delivers a Soundsculpture about an iron; John McCarthy reveals more of Gran Canaria; JP Devlin goes on a Daytrip with broadcaster and food critic Giles Coren; and actress, model and lion-keeper Tippi Hedren shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

6/30/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with the BBC's Business Editor Robert Peston, artist and designer David Gentleman, Claire Guest who trains dogs to sniff out a range of diseases including cancer and Bomber Command pilot Frank Dell who was shot down behind enemy lines in WW2; John McCarthy watches cricket with comedian Miles Jupp, Uri Geller reveals his secret life, and writer and actress Meera Syal shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

6/23/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes; Mark Lawson and JP Devlin breakfast in Dublin for Bloomsday; Julie Wassmer who discovered the daughter she'd given up for adoption by quite extraordinary coincidence; Dominic Walker, The Bishop of Monmouth, who conducts exorcisms; Susan Richards who was inspired by a damp June village fete to send a million books to Russia; there's a Dublin Crowdscape and former Chancellor Norman Lamont's Inheritance Tracks. Plus the first three parts of the landmark Radio 4 dramatization of James Joyce's Ulysses.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

6/16/2012 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 51 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with actor and comic Stephen Mangan; Jackie Malton, the retired Detective Chief Inspector who was the inspiration for Prime Suspect's Jane Tennison; ex-cricketer David Gower reveals his secret life, a love of bats; John McCarthy discovers the deserted beaches and overlooked attractions of Gran Canaria; Beryl Ritchie, one of the few female record cutters of the 1970s, remembers creating the first 12'' single in the UK; Tyeisha Litambola, whose brother was killed in a street attack, talks about being part of the campaign CitySafe; and Inheritance Tracks from actress Felicity Kendal. Producer: Rachel Simpson.

6/9/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 20 seconds

Sian Williams & Richard Coles with founder of the Eden Project Tim Smit, a brother and sister returning for the first time to the Congo where the rest of their family was massacred in 1964, a couple who spent 12 years and £35,000 trying to have a baby, a caricaturist turned amateur scientist who's trying to prove that people who look the same also sound the same, John McCarthy as a tourist in Beirut, a gathering of Victoria Cross recipients, Coronation memories and a Jubilee Crowdscape from Bedlington in Northumberland, and singing legend Sir Tom Jones's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: JP Devlin.

6/2/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 30 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with writer and broadcaster Bamber Gascoigne, a woman dubbed 'The Angel of Mostar' who was reunited via Facebook with the baby she saved 20 years before, the funeral director decorated for his service to fallen soldiers, a real life Billy Elliot from Warrington who's off to the Bolshoi ballet school, John McCarthy returns to Beirut, a Thing About Me feature about a chopper bike, and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard's Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

5/26/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with historian Peter Hennessy, John McCarthy on Canvey Island with Dr Feelgood's Wilko Johnson, Sheri Pitman a young woman who went through school refusing to speak, Tony Walker a 56 year old man whose life has been documented on TV since he was seven, Kevin Allmond the Yorkshire businessman who has become the Baron of a small European principality, a Crowdscape from Reading, The UK representative for the Pacific Island of Nauru Martin Weston makes a plea for Naurans in Britain to contact him, a "Thing About Me" feature from Sinead Withers about a beloved leather jacket, and Folk legend Joan Baez's Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

5/12/2012 • 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 seconds

Sian Williams and Richard Coles with 1970's pop mega-star David Cassidy; writer Jane Johnson who got lost in the Atlas mountains in Morocco and ended up marrying the Berber tribesman who rescued her; actor Patrick Duffy (aka Dallas' Bobby Ewing) who describes his love of caravanning; translator Mary Hobson who took a degree in Russian in her sixties and, now in her 80s, is winning awards for her version of Pushkin; John McCarthy reveals some secrets of the Paris metro; Chris Purkiss who lost her husband in a crowd; Steve Blacknell who wrote to his heroes, the Incredible String Band, and ended up living with them; Andrew Buckingham who struck up an unlikely pen-friendship with the iconic British wit and actor Kenneth Williams; a Bank Holiday poem from Luke Wright and the Inheritance Tracks of evergreen chanteuse and entertainer Cilla Black.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

5/5/2012 • 1 hour, 25 minutes, 15 seconds

Anita Anand with "The Idler" editor Tom Hodgkinson, gay dads Barrie and Tony Drewitt-Barlow talk about their decision to have a sixth child by a surrogate mother, Emma Gray on her life as a shepherdess, poetry from Matt Harvey, Caroline Cornish tells the story of her daughter's red dress, Jacquie Meredith explains how she was adopted by a stray cat, and former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway's Inheritance TracksProducer: JP Devlin.

4/28/2012 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with musician and activist Billy Bragg, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Prof Harry Rothman, son of Benny Rothman, the leader of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout to mark the 80th anniversary of the climb that won our generations' right to roam, Simon Wheatcroft an blind ultra-marathon runner, a feature about a homeless man from London, James Bowen, who was adopted by a cat and now they're constant companions, and Adrian Mole author Sue Townsend's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Rachel Simpson.

4/21/2012 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles with food writer Tamasin Day-Lewis, David Gollancz, who discovered he's one of the 600 children fathered by a British scientist's sperm donations and Moss Hills, who's been on board two different ships as they've sunk. There's poetry from Aoife Mannix, a sound sculpture featuring the unforgettable sound of the iconic 2CV engine, Inheritance Tracks from Nicholas Parsons and news of what's thought to be the furthest flung highland games in the world.

4/14/2012 • 56 minutes, 44 seconds

Anita Anand with author Jeanette Winterson, poet Mr Gee, young taxidermist Polly Morgan and urban birder David Lindo. Plus a crowdscape from the Welsh town of Carmarthen, Inheritance Tracks from 80s pop star Howard Jones and listener Sir George Pollock remembers taking part in a ski jump on Hampstead Heath in London in the 1950s.

4/7/2012 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds

Richard Coles with Jarvis co*cker, poet Elvis McGonagall, Zuhal Sultan who taught herself to play the piano and set up the Iraqi Youth Orchestra, Garret Smyth who's planning to cryogenically preserve his brain at the point of death in the hope of the being brought back to life, Anne Pattullo who hitched a ride with Salvador Dali, Piers Plowright's I Was There from a ski jumping competition in the middle of London in the 1950s, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor Roger Lloyd Pack. Producer: JP Devlin.

3/31/2012 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with materials scientist Professor Mark Miodownik, poet Luke Wright, Sue Chapman who learned to read and write in her sixties, Maurice Holder whose life was saved by his dog, JP Devlin takes a Daytrip with Chas Hodges from Rockney duo Chas 'n' Dave, and the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Sarah Millican. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

3/24/2012 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles with The Selecter's Pauline Black, poet Kate Fox, Natasha Owen Jones who traced her long-lost brother only to find he was a convicted killer and who has just returned from meeting him for the first time, one of the original inhabitants of Milton Keynes, the story of a beloved breadboard, and the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Ben Miller. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

3/17/2012 • 57 minutes, 1 second

Richard Coles with Joan Collins, poet Aoife Mannix, Hammer House of Horror actor Shane Briant, the mother of three who took adopted her friend's 5 children when tragedy struck, a voice artist makes us go 'aaaaah', a Sound Sculpture about Morse Code and the Inheritance Tracks of Duke Fakir from The Four Tops.Producer: Sukey Firth.

3/10/2012 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with comedienne Andi Osho, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Dr Bill Ritchie who helped create Dolly the Sheep, Philip Morrell, the Barnado's boy turned millionaire who's lending his boat to the Queen for the Jubilee, Patrick Newman who's trying to change the date of British Summer Time, a Soundscape of a guitar, and the Inheritance Tracks of arts guru Sir Christopher Frayling. Producer: JP Devlin.

3/3/2012 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds

Richard Coles with astronomer Dr Lucie Green, poet Salena Godden, Diane Blood who made legal history 15 years ago by fighting for the right to bear her dead husband's children, and super athlete Chrissy Wellington who's 4 times winner of the female Iron Man triathlon, a Daytrip to Sheffield with The Human League/Heaven 17's Martyn Ware, a man who has a theory about height and school uniform and the Inheritance Tracks of Speaker of The House of Commons John Bercow.

2/25/2012 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

On this week's Saturday Live, Richard Coles' guest is a television presenter and media personality whose private life has intrigued the tabloids - Anthea Turner. The sometime 'perfect housewife', Anthea will be fronting the 'Get Britain Crafting' campaign later in the year. This week's poet is Mr Gee, from humble beginnings as a Hip-Hop DJ, Mr Gee has honed his spoken word skills to become one of the stars of the UK poetry scene. We meet Jesse Ruiz, who, as a 27-year-old law student looking for intern work in Chicago, was mentored by a young lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School - Barack Obama. Richard also talks to Thomas Keeper, an estate agent, who recently spent £35,000 on a surgical procedure to extend his legs pushing his height from 5ft 6in to 5ft 10in. As an homage to Valentines day earlier this week, JP Devlin travels to Henley on Thames for a stroll with Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee to learn about the joys of romance. And we experience James Naughtie's Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Sukey Firth.

2/18/2012 • 56 minutes, 54 seconds

Anita Anand with singer/songwriter Christy Moore, poet Matt Harvey, a couple whose house burned down so they built a boat and set sail, a woman who treasures a blanket from the Isle of Wight Festival, a professional matchmaker, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor/comedian Rob Brydon.Producer: JP Devlin.

2/11/2012 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles in Leicester with journalist, broadcaster and political aide Alastair Campbell, songwriter and comedian Mitch Benn, 1970's popsters Showaddywaddy, Ugandan Asian exile Nisha Popat who came to Leicester in 1972, International Rescue fireman Ian Holden who helped out after the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand a year ago & fitness guru and Dancing on Ice star Rosemary Conley's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Dixi Stewart & Justin Bones.

2/4/2012 • 56 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles with philosopher Alain de Botton, poet Aoife Mannix, the 70's pop star who was summoned to play at the Kremlin, the woman who tracked down her long lost brother only to find him serving 99 years for murder in an American jail, one of the UK's oldest diabetics who was treated by the man who invented insulin, the vicar's son who got a windfall from the local undertaker and the Inheritance Tracks of singer Ani DiFranco. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.

1/28/2012 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles with TV personality Ulrika Jonsson, poet Elvis McGonagall, a sword swallower who tore his own oesophagus, a woman who became best friends with her husband's mistress, a man who hitched a ride with a coffin, and a Crowdscape from Sleaford. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Ruby Wax. Producer: Sukey Firth.

1/21/2012 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with journalist Jon Ronson, poet Kate Fox, a man who extracts alien implants, the teacher who went to Turkey and found herself driving the school bus, a woman who is addicted to the South Pole and a Sound Sculpture of crows. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of actress Jenny Agutter. Producer: JP Devlin.

1/14/2012 • 57 minutes, 1 second

Richard Coles with fashion icon Twiggy, poet Luke Wright, a woman whose baby was born in the back of a cab, a boy who drives his own school bus, a 70 year old Hollywood body double, and a man who speaks 26 languages. Plus choreographer Arlene Phillips' Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Anna Bailey.

1/7/2012 • 56 minutes, 54 seconds

Anita Anand with social entrepreneur Paul Twivy, poet Mr Gee, a girl born mid-flight, a German heralding New Year with British slapstick, the homeless tour guides & singer Cyndi Lauper's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Sukey Firth.

12/31/2011 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds

Sian Williams with adventurer Steve Backshall, poet Murray Lachlan Young, a zookeeper who acted as a surrogate mother to a sick baby gorilla, a man who flew the only relief flight into Ethiopia on Christmas Day 1984 with 'Do They Know It's Christmas' playing over the airplane PA, a group of women who are rowing across the Atlantic, a man who was attacked by his neighbour's macaque monkey and the Inheritance Tracks of musician and Beatle son Julian Lennon.Producer: Dixi Stewart.

12/24/2011 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds

Richard Coles with actress Samantha Bond, poet Luke Wright, young ballerina Izzy McGuire who left home to train in Russia when she was just 14, medical scientist Dame Julia Polak who ended up suffering from the rare condition she'd been researching, JP Devlin continues the saga of celebrity panda Chi-chi this week with Chris Madden who was the man she mauled, a Sound Sculpture of a saw from listener Alexander Frew, and the Inheritance Tracks of choirmaster Gareth Malone.Producer: Sukey Firth.

12/17/2011 • 57 minutes, 12 seconds

Richard Coles with politician turned panto star Ann Widdecombe, poet Matt Harvey, one man who lives in the house where John Lennon grew up, and another who cared for celebrity panda Chi Chi, a woman who lost two thirds of her body weight and another who reclaimed the park behind her house for the local teens who wrecked her garden, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor Simon Callow.Producer: JP Devlin.

12/10/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with rising opera star Noah Stewart, poet Aoife Mannix, the fashion photographer turned photojournalist who went to Afghanistan where he stepped on a landmine and lost three limbs, the art teacher who taught Young British Artists Damian Hirst and Marcus Harvey, the Parliament choir, and the Inheritance Tracks of Sporty Spice Girl Mel C.Producer: Anna Bailey.

12/3/2011 • 57 minutes

Richard Coles with crime writer Patricia Cornwell, poet Elvis McGonagall, Michelle Clements who accompanied her terminally ill husband to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, Alisdair Macleod from the Outer Hebrides who's explored the shipwreck which inspired Whisky Galore, the club DJ who found a rare recording of Cassius Clay singing 'Stand By Me', and the Ulrika Jonsson shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: JP Devlin.

11/26/2011 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds

Richard Coles with the filmmaker Sir Alan Parker, Fergus Anckorn whose life was saved by a magic trick, and Fiona who had to tell her children she was likely to be sent to jail. JP Devlin shuffles through Kirsty Young's mp3 player to reveal her musical choices and textile designer and David Hockney muse Celia Birtwell shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Sukey Firth.

11/19/2011 • 57 minutes, 11 seconds

Richard Coles with performer Michael Ball, poet Mr Gee, Mini-Miss Worldwide Bethany Jade and her mum Debbie, Peter Phillips who was Robert Maxwell's official receiver, an I Was There feature from Jim'll Fix It with the man who fixed it for Jim, and the Inheritance Tracks of film and theatre director John Crowley.Producer: JP Devlin.

11/12/2011 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds

Richard Coles with chef Allegra McEvedy, poet Murray Lachlan Young, one woman who wants to be a firework when she dies and another who lives on stuff that's been thrown away; comedian Omid Djalili plays bongos and singer-songwriter and all round musical legend Randy Newman shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

11/5/2011 • 57 minutes

Richard Coles with author and illustrator Lauren Child, poet Matt Harvey & Inheritance Tracks from Sue Johnston.Producer: Simon Clancy.

10/31/2011 • 56 minutes, 54 seconds

Richard Coles with pop star, writer and play advocate Pat Kane, poet Mr Gee, the referee at the Hillsborough disaster & one of the original Concorde cabin crew. There's a soundsculpture of the San Francisco cable car bell, and the Inheritance Tracks of singer, band leader and actor Harry Connick Jr. Producer: JP Devlin.

10/22/2011 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds

Richard Coles with advertising creative Rosie Arnold, poet Luke Wright, a couple who took an OAP gap year, and a former Zimbabwean Government official turned filmmaker who was driven from his country. Frank Skinner reveals his Secret Life and singer Tori Amos shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Debbie Kilbride.

10/15/2011 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds

Sian Williams with Gyles Brandreth, poet Elvis McGonagall, a woman who was experimented on by the British Eugenics Society, and a man from Oxford who's had a shark sticking out of his roof for the past 25 years. There's a Crowdscape from Broadstairs and Inheritance Tracks from Old Grey Whistle Test legend Bob Harris.Producer Simon Clancy.

10/8/2011 • 57 minutes

Richard Coles with geneticist Professor Steve Jones, poet Kate Fox, a 14 year old boy with a bionic hand, and a former anarchist who describes what it was like to be part of the 1990 poll tax riots. There's an I Was There feature from the Conservative Party Conference of 1963, and to mark the 50th anniversary of Radio 4's In Touch, presenter Peter White shares his Inheritance Tracks.

10/1/2011 • 57 minutes

Richard Coles with violinist Nigel Kennedy, poet Matt Harvey, Red Rum's former stable lad, and an anti-fascist campaigner who used to be a member of the BNP. There's the story of a ballet shoe that used to belong to Rudolph Nureyev and war correspondent Janine di Giovanni shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Simon Clancy.

9/24/2011 • 56 minutes, 47 seconds

Richard Coles with headmaster Sir William Atkinson and poet Murray Lachlan Young.

9/17/2011 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds

Richard Coles with writer, fisherman and former agony-uncle Nick Fisher, poet Salena Godden, the filmmaker who refused Colonel Gaddafi after going to meet him in the Libyan desert, a woman who grew up on the road in a traveller community, a Crowdscape from Glasgow's Central Station & Inheritance Tracks from Ophelia Dahl. Producer: Debbie Kilbride.

9/10/2011 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds

Richard Coles with Last Night of the Proms soprano Susan Bullock, poet Mr Gee, a man who who's been living with HIV for 30 years, and the UK's air-guitar champion. JP Devlin takes a Daytrip to Buxton with Dame Jenni Murray and Adam Ant shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Debbie Kilbride.

9/3/2011 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds

Richard Coles with writer and performer Stella Duffy, poet Luke Wright, a man who used to be a Vice Consul in Orlando and Marseilles, and a woman whose mother was a leader of the Japanese Red Army. There's a strange story about George Orwell's beer mug and Chris Tarrant's Inheritance Tracks.Producer: JP Devlin.

8/27/2011 • 56 minutes, 56 seconds

Richard Coles with psychologist and persuasion expert Kevin Dutton, poet Salena Godden, a man working with young people to stop them joining street gangs, and one of Britain's oldest bookies. There's a Crowdscape from Chipping Norton and The Selecter's Pauline Black shares her Inheritance Tracks.

8/20/2011 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

Richard Coles with architecture critic Tom Dyckhoff, poet Kate Fox, former rugby player Matt Hampson whose career was cut short when he was paralysed from the neck down and product designer Kenneth Grange who has shaped the way we see everything from trains and taxis to parking meters and pens. Performer Toyah Willcox shares her Secret Life and documentary-maker Steve James shares his Inheritance Tracks.

8/13/2011 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds

Richard Coles with broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, poet Matt Harvey, two men whose lives were linked by the discovery of some old photographs, a woman whose challenging childhood made her a lifelong optimist, a Sound Sculpture of jet engines and Inheritance Tracks from author Nicholas Evans.

8/6/2011 • 57 minutes, 1 second

Anita Anand hears from creative polymath Alexei Sayle, poet Elvis McGonagall, Richard Williams, who was caught up in the bombing that killed and injured many people in Oklahoma City in 1995, Brian Belle-Fortune who was at Ben Johnson's incredible 1988 Olympic 100 metre win and now has tickets for the 100 metre final in London in 2012 and Janet Barker who sets quiz questions for the big TV quizzes. And there are the inheritance tracks of children's author Eoin Colfer.

7/30/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles with comedy supremo Paul Jackson, poet Aoife Mannix, Martin Pistorius who was locked into his own body, ventriloquist Steve Hewlett who's brought Archie Andrews back to life, a Thing About You feature telling the story of a very special perfume bottle, and Inheritance Tracks of actress Tessa Peake-Jones.

7/23/2011 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

Richard Coles with crime novelist Dreda Say Mitchell; poet Mr Gee; a former page 3 model, and a man who grew up with Nelson Mandela. There's a Crowdscape feature from Bury St Edmunds, and Inheritance Tracks from former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

7/16/2011 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles with singer Cerys Matthews; poet Murray Lachlan Young; a woman who went to bed aged 34 and woke up believing she was 15, and a man who spent his childhood playing with Pablo Picasso. There's an I Was There feature about DeLorean cars, and Inheritance Tracks from travel writer Paul Theroux.

7/9/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Clare Balding at Wimbledon with jazz legend Al Jarreau; poet Matt Harvey; a former Wimbledon ball-boy, and a man whose life was put on track by poet and musician Gil Scott Heron. There's a Soundsculpture of a dairy parlour and Inheritance Tracks from Blue Peter Editor Biddy Baxter.

7/2/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles with actress Lesley Sharp, poet Kate Fox, a young woman who went to China as a student and came back a pop star, and a lifelong campaigner. There's a Daytrip with Griff Rhys Jones and author William Boyd shares his Inheritance Tracks.

6/25/2011 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

Richard Coles with broadcaster Esther Rantzen, poet Luke Wright, a man who hoaxed the nation in to believing that Jimi Hendrix had recorded the Welsh national anthem, and a woman who discovered after his death that her husband of 46 years has kept his sexuality secret. There's a guerilla report about pamper parties for young girls and opera singer Lesley Garrett shares her Inheritance Tracks.

6/18/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles with actor and director Richard Wilson, poet Susan Richardson, a woman who discovered her outwardly respectable father was in fact a criminal gangster, and a man who kept a lion as a pet. There's an I Was There feature from a man who worked on the world's first international satellite TV broadcast, and writer Jodi Picoult shares her Inheritance Tracks.

6/4/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with novelist John Connolly, poet Elvis McGonagall, a Rwandan man who took his teenage son back to the scenes of the genocide he'd fled, and a young woman who grew up on the diplomatic circuit. There's a Guerilla report about The Floral Dance and actress Niamh Cusack shares her Inheritance Tracks.

5/28/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

Richard Coles with historian Amanda Foreman, poet Murray Lachlan Young, a man whose father was a high-ranking official in the Ku Klux Klan, and a torch-bearer at the 1948 Olympics. There's a Sound Sculpture about jackals in India and best-selling author Iain Banks shares his Inheritance Tracks.

5/21/2011 • 57 minutes, 1 second

Richard Coles with cook and writer Elisabeth Luard, poet Mr Gee, a woman who's trying to have a child using a website to match her with a potential donor, and the son of the little bald guy who Benny Hill used to slap round the head to the tune Yackety Sax. We revisit Gloucester Cattle Market with a former auctioneer and a couple of farmers who recall the buzz of what used to be one of the country's biggest livestock sales and is now a shopping centre; and Duncan Lamont, one of Britain's greatest sax players, shares his Inheritance Tracks.

5/14/2011 • 57 minutes, 3 seconds

Richard Coles with composer Howard Goodall, poet Salena Godden, mannequin revolutionary Kevin Arpino, and civil servant turned boxing promoter Miranda Carter. There's a Sound Sculpture of an intensive care unit and Country legend Emmylou Harris shares her Inheritance Tracks.

5/7/2011 • 56 minutes, 55 seconds

This week presenter Richard Coles talks to comedian and self-proclaimed libertarian anarchist Mark Thomas and ex-Guantanamo guard Brandon Neely. Madhur Jaffrey insists on an choosing three Inheritance Tracks, and a listener explains why his soul is soothed by the sound of the dishwasher. We also find the answer to the little-asked question: what is the secret life of country singer-songwriter kd lang? Plus poet Luke Wright.Producer: JP Devlin.

4/30/2011 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

Sian Williams with writer and director Mike Leigh and poet Matt Harvey.

4/23/2011 • 57 minutes

The Reverend Richard Coles with writer, broadcaster and poker ace Victoria Coren, poet Aoife Mannix, one man who faces some big fences in his chase to become a jockey, and another who does not feel pain. Style guru Peter York takes us on a Daytrip and actress Anne Marie Duff shares her Inheritance Tracks.

4/16/2011 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles with best-selling author Joanna Trollope, poet Kate Fox, one man who discovered a crock of gold and another who lived through the upheaval in the Congo as it became independent in 1960; an I Was There feature about the 1997 Grand National which postponed by an IRA bomb scare, and Benjamin Zephaniah shares his Inheritance Tracks.

4/9/2011 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles with author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz, poet Murray Lachlan Young, and a former evacuee who was eventually adopted by the family who took him in. There's a Sound Sculpture of washing china tea sets, an I Was There from the Chief Officer of The Canberra when she requisitioned for the Falklands War, and the Inheritance Tracks of rock 'n' roll's first lady Wanda Jackson.

4/2/2011 • 56 minutes, 51 seconds

Suzy Klein with pop star Rick Astley and poet Elvis McGonagall; interviews with a woman who found out at the age of 18 that her father was not the man who'd raised but a famous novelist instead. There's a Crowdscape from Letchworth, Britain's first Garden City and home of the country's first roundabout, and Inheritance Tracks from Clarence B Jones, the man who helped Martin Luther King write his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

3/26/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Fi Glover with best-selling crime writer crime writer Sara Paretsky and poet Aoife Mannix; interviews with a man who's just brought back to life the robot he built nearly 50 years ago, and a Japanese woman who's dealing at a distance with the catastrophes in her homeland. There's a Sound Sculpture about the windscreen wipers on a Humber, and actor Larry Lamb shares his Inheritance Tracks.

3/19/2011 • 57 minutes, 6 seconds

Fi Glover with creativity guru Sir Ken Robinson and poet Salena Godden; an interview with a man who grew up in a squatter camp in Northern Ireland; a Sound Sculpture which inspired a career in science fiction; the Secret Life of former Liverpool FC manager Rafael Benitez; actress and writer Jo Scanlan shares her Inheritance Tracks.

3/12/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Fi Glover with broadcaster Angela Rippon and poet Matt Harvey; an interview with a woman who lived through the Iranian Revolution in the seventies, a man who 30 years ago was technical director on British Oscar sensation Chariots of Fire, a Day Trip to Stevenage with author and comedienne Emma Kennedy, and Inheritance Tracks from Joy Division and New Order bass player Peter Hook.

3/5/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Richard Coles with actress Alison Steadman and poet Luke Wright.

2/26/2011 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds

Fi Glover with dancing queen Arlene Phillips and poet Kate Fox; an interview with a pair of identical twins separated at birth who found each other again quite by chance when one recognised her sister in a movie poster, an I Was There feature with a man who lived in the flat below Freddie Mercury and listened to the musical musings that were to become Bohemian Rhapsody, a Sound Sculpture about freewheeling and actor Om Puri shares his Inheritance Tracks.

2/19/2011 • 57 minutes

Fi Glover with Eden Project founder Tim Smit and poet Salena Godden; interviews with a man who lived with a stammer for 20 years before learning to control it, and a tube driver whose life became involved with that of the person who killed themselves under his train. There's a Guerilla Report on mix tapes and Stephen Fry shares his Inheritance Tracks.

2/12/2011 • 57 minutes

Fi Glover with presenter and paralympian Ade Adepitan and poet Matt Harvey; interviews with a young man who went to Ecuador in search of adventure and found it, and with a woman whose parents swapped partners with the couple next door. There's a Daytrip with singer-songwriter Beth Orton and Dame Edna creator Barry Humphries shares his Inheritance Tracks.

2/5/2011 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds

Fi Glover with showbiz icon Lionel Blair, poet Aoife Mannix, a man who survived the Moscow theatre siege of 2002 and a woman who rents her house out as a filming location; top-selling artist Jack Vettriano reveals his Secret Life and actress Tamsin Greig shares her Inheritance Tracks.

1/29/2011 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Fi Glover with Dragon's Den business guru Deborah Meaden and poet Elvis McGonagall, a man who set up his own airline while he was homeless and later sold it for £30 million, and a convert to Islam. There's a piano-tuning Soundsculpture from the great-great-grandson of Chopin's piano tuner and Rick Astley shares his Inheritance Tracks.

1/22/2011 • 57 minutes, 1 second

Fi Glover with guest Mary Portas and poet Murray Lachlan Young; interviews with the last footman in England and a survivor of the New Cross Fire, a Crowdscape from Nottingham Market and the Inheritance Tracks of Rolf Harris.

1/15/2011 • 56 minutes, 52 seconds

Fi Glover with cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and poet Kate Fox; interviews with a gay former US Marine and a man who is King of a small island of the West Coast of Ireland, a guerilla report about having no sense of smell and Archers stalwart June Spencer - aka Peggy Woolley - shares her Inheritance Tracks.

1/8/2011 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Fi Glover looks forward to the year ahead with comedian Jon Holmes and poet Luke Wright. We hear from a Lanarkshire couple whose baby arrived unexpectedly in the early hours of the new millennium, and a woman who helped make the wedding cake for the Queen and Prince Philip. Crime writer Patricia Cornwell reveals her Secret Life, and singer Annie Lennox OBE shares her Inheritance Tracks.

1/1/2011 • 56 minutes, 55 seconds

Fi Glover with guests Gary Kemp and Dame Joan Bakewell. Murray Lachlan Young brings poems and the Rev Richard Coles delivers e-mails. There are interviews with Alan and Irene Brogan who met in a children's home in Newcastle and met again years later and got married; they appeared on Saturday Live and as a result of being on the programme a book was written about them. Also Kate Shipton and her son Matthew tell the story of how he donated a kidney to save her life, and Margaret Pellegrini describes how she came to be one of the original munchkins in the Wizard of Oz, and how that experience has shaped her life. There's an I Was There with Professor Colin Pillinger on his involvement in the Apollo 8 which was in space during Christmas 1968, a Crowdscape from Leeds Christmas Market, a Day Trip with John McCarthy and Sandi Toksvig at Denis Severs' House in Spitalfields and a Sound Sculpture from Santa Claus. Inheritance Tracks from entertainer Bette Midler and actor and Pantomime Dame par excellence Clive Rowe.

12/25/2010 • 1 hour, 57 minutes

Fi Glover with author Michael Morpurgo, poet Matt Harvey, a professor of crowd dynamics and a pagan policeman; a sound sculpture of a windharp and the Inheritance Tracks of actress Lesley Manville.

12/18/2010 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles with actor Tom Hollander and poet Aoife Mannix, a student protestor from the 1970's and a woman who gathered top secret information at Bletchley Park during the war and was married to a spy. There's an I Was There from the Russian Revolution and Inheritance Tracks from author Jilly Cooper.

12/11/2010 • 56 minutes, 57 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles with studio guest Gloria Hunniford, poet Elvis McGonagall, the man who carried the flag for England at the 1966 World Cup and a woman who discovered her father's bigamous secret; percussionist Evelyn Glennie reveals her Secret Life and Inheritance Tracks from Mary Coughlan.

12/4/2010 • 57 minutes, 4 seconds

Fi Glover with novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby, poet Murray Lachlan Young, a man who was in a band with a very young David Bowie, a headteacher who was caught up in the Montserrat volcano eruption and who helped her pupils through the aftermath by encouraging them to write poems and stories, a woman who extols the virtues of keeping pigs as pets, and the Inheritance Tracks of comedian and author Alexei Sayle.

11/27/2010 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds

Fi Glover with educationist and creativity guru Sir Ken Robinson, poet Salena Godden, teen mum Hannah White who has 4 A levels, and a man who has just escaped from Somali pirates. There's a Sound Sculpture of an 8mm movie projector, and the Inheritance Tracks of Sir Ian Botham.

11/20/2010 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Fi Glover is joined by TV boss and poetry champion Daisy Goodwin and poet Luke Wright. There are interviews with deaf musician Paul Whittaker and Mo Lea who survived an attack by the Yorkshire Ripper, and a Crowdscape from East Midlands airport. Iconic fashion designer Paul Smith shares Inheritance Tracks.The producer is Debbie Kilbride.

11/13/2010 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds

The Reverend Richard Coles is joined by satirist John Lloyd and poet Kate Fox.The producer is Debbie Kilbride.

10/30/2010 • 56 minutes, 51 seconds

Saturday Live's guest presenter is news anchor Mishal Husain. She's joined by physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili, poet Matt Harvey and expert negotiator Stuart Diamond.The producer is Simon Clancy.

10/23/2010 • 57 minutes, 5 seconds

Fi Glover is joined by singer songwriter Edwyn Collins and his wife Grace Maxwell, poet Susan Richardson, Florence Terry who used to beat her husband and now runs anger management courses, and Welshman Clive Nicol who's a household name in Japan and has been named 'sexiest foreigner in jeans'. There's a Sound Sculpture about a coffee grinder and Inheritance Tracks from writer Colm Toibin.The producer is Debbie Kilbride.

10/16/2010 • 56 minutes, 59 seconds

Fi Glover with studio guest editor of The Lady Rachel Johnson, poet Luke Wright, The Secret Life of Sean Wilson who exchanged the role Martin Platt in Coronation Street for a life of cheesemaking, and the Inheritance Tracks of Carol Vorderman. There's either an interview with a doctor who volunteered his medical services during the war in Kosovo and who ended up fighting for the Kosovo Liberation Army, and the milkman who threw away pictures given to him by one of his customers: LS Lowry.

10/9/2010 • 54 minutes, 1 second

Fi Glover is joined in the studio by the first lady of Radio 1 Annie Nightingale MBE, poet Salena Godden and the daughter of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. There's a guerilla report from a woman who has 400 pairs of designer shoes, an interview with the milkman who threw away several paintings by LS Lowry, and former Ryder cup captain Sam Torrance shares his Inheritance Tracks.The producer is Debbie Kilbride.

10/2/2010 • 56 minutes, 53 seconds

Fi Glover is joined by historian Michael Wood, poet Aoife Mannix, a woman who found 32 skeletons in her back garden, and a man who was jailed in 1960 for being gay.There's a Crowdscape from the North Devon Show and musician Jean Michel Jarre shares his Inheritance Tracks. The producer is Debbie Kilbride.

9/25/2010 • 57 minutes, 3 seconds

Fi Glover with studio guest Noel Sharkey, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and poet Matt Harvey. There's an interview with His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, and with the designer who brought us - among other things - the Popemobile. Author Joanne Harris describes her Secret Life and out-going R4 Controller Mark Damazer shares his Inheritance Tracks.

9/18/2010 • 57 minutes, 2 seconds

Richard Coles with author Charlie Higson, poet Kate Fox, a diplomat held hostage by al-Qaeda, a Romani journalist, a man who eschews shoes and Evelyn Glennie's Inheritance Tracks.

9/11/2010 • 56 minutes, 58 seconds

Fi Glover is joined by TV personality Fiona Phillips, and poet Murray Lachlan Young. There's an interview with Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan, a Sound Sculpture about geese, JP meets rock star record producer Dale Griffin who's now developed Alzheimer's, and singer songwriter Tracey Thorn shares her Inheritance Tracks.

9/4/2010 • 56 minutes, 51 seconds