Great Lives

Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.

Radio 4,609 episodes

Episodes

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Minette Batters on Henry Plumb
Matthew Parris is joined by the president of the National Farmers' Union, Minette Batters.
03 Jan 2023,28 mins
Bob Harris on Sir Matt Busby, Manchester United manager
Presenter Bob Harris champions Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby.
27 Dec 2022,28 mins
Noddy Holder on Chuck Berry
Slade frontman Noddy Holder champions the life of rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry.
20 Dec 2022,28 mins
Olivia Laing on Christopher Lloyd, Gardener and Writer
Writer Olivia Laing nominates the gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd.
13 Dec 2022,28 mins
Olia Hercules on Alla Horska, Ukrainian painter
Cookbook author and activist Olia Hercules nominates the Ukrainian painter Alla Horska.
06 Dec 2022,28 mins
Bonnie Greer on the Women of the Morant Bay Rebellion
Bonnie Greer nominates the women of the Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica.
27 Sep 2022,28 mins
Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking
Cressida Cowell on her hero Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.
20 Sep 2022,28 mins
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood nominated by Lesley Garrett
Soprano Lesley Garrett celebrates the life of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
13 Sep 2022,28 mins
Romy Gill on poet Amrita Pritam
Chef Romy Gill celebrates a poet whose work was heavily influenced by Partition.
06 Sep 2022,28 mins
Rosalind Franklin picked by Kate Bingham, former head of the UK government's vaccine taskforce
Rosalind Franklin, whose work was central to the discovery of DNA.
30 Aug 2022,28 mins
Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Educationalist
Sir John Timpson picks Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw.
23 Aug 2022,28 mins
Ravi Shankar, India's famous sitar player
Bobby Seagull picks Ravi Shankar.
16 Aug 2022,28 mins
Holly Walsh on BS Johnson
Holly Walsh picks BS Johnson, fiery sixties novelist
09 Aug 2022,28 mins
Pat Nevin on Johan Cruyff
Pat Nevin picks Johan Cruyff, the Dutch footballer who changed how the game was played.
02 Aug 2022,28 mins
Judy Garland
Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, picked by Susie Boyt.
31 May 2022,28 mins
Joan Rhodes, strongest woman in the world
Anna Maxwell Martin proposes Joan Rhodes, variety artiste and strongwoman
24 May 2022,28 mins
Rob Newman on Franklin D Roosevelt
Comedian Rob Newman nominates one of his heroes, President Franklin D Roosevelt.
17 May 2022,28 mins
Mr Manchester Tony Wilson nominated by Terry Christian
Terry Christian from The Word on Tony Wilson of Factory Records and The Hacienda.
10 May 2022,28 mins
Gil Scott-Heron
Joe Swift on Gil Scott-Heron
03 May 2022,28 mins
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge.
26 Apr 2022,28 mins
Janet Ellis on Puffin editor Kaye Webb
Blue Peter's Janet Ellis champions a children's publishing sensation.
19 Apr 2022,28 mins
Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post
Donald Macintyre on Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post and Drum.
12 Apr 2022,28 mins
Brian Cox on Lindsay Anderson
Brian Cox on Lindsay Anderson
05 Apr 2022,28 mins
Spike Milligan
Comedian and poet Henry Normal picks his comedy hero - Spike Milligan.
25 Jan 2022,28 mins
Roma Agrawal on Mrinalini Sarabhai
The engineer and author Roma Agrawal on Indian classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai.
18 Jan 2022,28 mins
Lady Hale on Lady Rhondda
Lady Hale chooses the suffragette and businesswoman, Margaret Haig Thomas - Lady Rhondda.
11 Jan 2022,28 mins
William Lever, Lord Leverhulme, founder of Unilever
The mighty soap manufacturer, William Lever, chosen by the boss of Iceland
04 Jan 2022,28 mins
Noor-Un-Nissa Inayat Khan
The muslim princess who became a WW2 Special Agent
28 Dec 2021,28 mins
Jeanne Baret, first woman to sail round the globe
Nina Sosanya picks Jeanne Baret, first woman round the globe.
21 Dec 2021,28 mins
Rory Sutherland on Johnny Ramone
The advertising guru Rory Sutherland on the founder of the New York punk band, the Ramones
14 Dec 2021,28 mins