Last Word Podcast
Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
Episodes to download
-
![]()
Robert Stigwood, Patricia Torrens, Pierre Boulez, Lord Ezra, Natalie Cole
Fri 8 Jan 2016
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
Eric Tomlinson, Elsie Tu, Peter Dickinson, Lillian Vernon and Lemmy
New Year's Day 2016
Julian Worricker on a sound engineer, a campaigner, a writer, a businesswoman, a musician.
-
![]()
Some of the most memorable lives of the past twelve months
Christmas Day 2015
A scientist, a diver, a marchioness and a singer - memorable lives from 2015 are recalled.
-
![]()
Mick Murphy, Ahmed Chalabi, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Brajraj Mahapatra and Holly Woodlawn
Fri 18 Dec 2015
Matthew Bannister on a cyclist, a politician, a singer, a king, an actress.
-
![]()
Marcus Klingberg, William McIlvanney, Setsuko Hara, Joel Elkes and John Peel
Fri 11 Dec 2015
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
General Sir Robert Ford, Hazel Adair, Jane Wardle, Gerry Byrne and P.F Sloan
Fri 4 Dec 2015
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
Peter Dimmock, Alix d'Unienville, Yolanda Sonnabend, Maggie Eales and George Barris
Fri 27 Nov 2015
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
Roy Dommett, Warren Mitchell, Allen Toussaint, Cynthia Payne and Jonah Lomu
Fri 20 Nov 2015
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
Helmut Schmidt, Pat Eddery, Julia Jones, Lord Noon and Nat Peck
Fri 13 Nov 2015
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
-
![]()
Norman Moore, Diane Charlemagne, Professor David Cesarani, Colin Welland and Peter Donaldson
Fri 6 Nov 2015
Matthew Bannister on a conservationist, a singer, an historian, an actor, a newsreader
-
![]()
Professor Lisa Jardine, Philip French, Ronnie Massarella, Maureen O'Hara
Fri 30 Oct 2015
Matthew Bannister on a polymath, a critic, a showjumping manager, a film star
-
![]()
General John Galvin, Joan Leslie, Michael Meacher, Howard Kendall, Jerry Parr and Coleridge Goode
Fri 23 Oct 2015
Matthew Bannister on a general, an actress, an MP, a football manager and a bodyguard.
-
![]()
Geoffrey Howe, Sue Lloyd-Roberts, Joe Henson, Hugh Scully and Alexander Faris
Fri 16 Oct 2015
Julian Worricker on a politician, a journalist, a farmer, a TV presenter and a composer.
-
![]()
Lord Denis Healey, Carmen Balcells, Henning Mankell, Revd Kenneth Leech and Captain Bob Arnott
Fri 9 Oct 2015
Lucy Ash on a politician, a literary agent, a crime writer, a QE2 captain and a churchman.
-
![]()
Brian Friel, General Mario Menendez, Tessa Ransford, John Guillermin, Ben Cauley
Fri 2 Oct 2015
Matthew Bannister talks about a playwright, a general, a poet and a director.
-
![]()
Brian Sewell, Jackie Collins, Ted Smith CBE, PJ Kavanagh, Yogi Berra
Fri 25 Sep 2015
Matthew Bannister on an art critic, a novelist, a naturalist, a poet and a baseball player
-
![]()
Sir David Willcocks, Merv Adelson, Mariem Hassan, Brian Close, Beryl Renwick
Fri 18 Sep 2015
Matthew Bannister on a choirmaster, a producer, a singer, a cricketer, a radio presenter.
-
![]()
Sir Adrian Cadbury, Rico Rodriguez, Ieng Thirith, Margaret Harrison, Judy Carne
Fri 11 Sep 2015
Matthew Bannister on a businessman, a trombonist, a Khmer Rouge leader, a charity founder.
-
![]()
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Joy Beverley, Oliver Sacks, Annette Worsley-Taylor
Fri 4 Sep 2015
Matthew Bannister talks about a peer, a singer, a neurologist and a fashion promoter.
-
![]()
Bernie Passingham, Christopher Marshall, Wayne Carson, Michael Turk, Marie Dobbs, Yvonne Craig
Fri 28 Aug 2015
Matthew Bannister on a union official, a researcher, a songwriter, a waterman, an author.
-
![]()
Khaled al-Asaad, Jazz Summers, Jack Gold, Manual Contreras, Dawn Wofford
Fri 21 Aug 2015
Lucy Ash on an archaeologist, a music manager, a director, a show jumper and a general.
-
![]()
David Nobbs, Frances Kelsey, Kyril Zinovieff, Elio Fiorucci, Harry Pitch
Fri 14 Aug 2015
Reeta Chakrabarti on a writer, a scientist, a spy, a fashion designer and a musician.
-
![]()
Cilla Black, Michael Kidson, APJ Abdul Kalam, Evelyn Gillan, George Cole
Fri 7 Aug 2015
Matthew Bannister discusses a singer, a teacher, a president, a campaigner and an actor.
-
![]()
Nova Pilbeam, Reverend Owen Chadwick, Jon Vickers, Yoichiro Nambu, Nick Ryman
Fri 31 Jul 2015
Matthew Bannister on a historian, a tenor, a physicist, an actress, a vigneron
-
![]()
Rev Joyce Bennett, Prince Saud al-Faisal, Burt Shavitz, Michael Oliver, Ian Allan
Fri 17 Jul 2015
Matthew Bannister on a priest, a foreign minister, a beekeeper and a medical professor.
-
![]()
Omar Sharif, Stanley 'Steve' Moore, Jules Wright, Yevgeny Primakov, Ernest Tomlinson
Fri 10 Jul 2015
Matthew Bannister on an actor, a detective, a director, a politician and a composer.
-
![]()
Sir Nicholas Winton, Val Doonican, Nek Chand, James Salter, Lady Rozelle Raynes
Fri 3 Jul 2015
Matthew Bannister on a humanitarian, a singer, an artist, a writer and an aristocrat.
-
![]()
Sir Chris Woodhead, Patrick Macnee, Dame Anne Warburton, Vic Mayhew, James Horner
Fri 26 Jun 2015
Matthew Bannister on a school inspector, an actor, a diplomat, a subeditor and a composer.
-
![]()
Morris Beckman, Ornette Coleman, Tanith Lee, Süleyman Demirel and Doris Hart
Fri 19 Jun 2015
Matthew Bannister on an activist, a musician, a writer, a president and a tennis player.
-
![]()
Christopher Lee, Marguerite Patten, James Last, Major Roy Homard, Ron Moody
Fri 12 Jun 2015
Andrea Catherwood on two actors, a polar explorer, a cookery writer and a musician.
