Great Lives

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

Radio 4,609 episodes

Episodes

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Suzy Klein on Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr, actress, inventor, and the most beautiful woman in the world.
22 May 2018,30 mins
Mica Paris on Josephine Baker
Soul singer Mica Paris tells Matthew Parris why Josephine Baker is her heroine.
15 May 2018,30 mins
Simon Callow on Orson Welles
Actor Simon Callow selects the life of a Hollywood great - Orson Welles.
08 May 2018,30 mins
Tej Lalvani on Richard Feynman
Tej Lalvani nominates the physicist and bongo playing Richard Feynman as his great life.
01 May 2018,30 mins
Laura Serrant on Audre Lorde
Laura Serrant chooses the poet and activist Audre Lorde. From 2018.
24 Apr 2018,30 mins
Adrian Utley of Portishead on Miles Davis
Miles Davis chosen by Adrian Utley of Portishead.
17 Apr 2018,30 mins
Ayesha Hazarika on Jayaben Desai
Ayesha Hazarika champions her hero Jayaben Desai who led the Grunwick strike in 1976.
10 Apr 2018,30 mins
Jim Moir on Captain Beefheart
Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, chooses the life of Don van Vliet - Captain Beefheart.
03 Apr 2018,30 mins
Liza Tarbuck on Nikola Tesla
Liza Tarbuck nominates Nikola Tesla as her great life. Matthew Parris presents.
23 Jan 2018,30 mins
Justin Marozzi on Herodotus
Herodotus - father of history or father of lies? Matthew Parris presents.
16 Jan 2018,30 mins
Gisela Stuart on Joseph Chamberlain
Gisela Stuart nominates Joseph Chamberlain as her great life.
09 Jan 2018,30 mins
Hertha Ayrton
Helen Arney, scientist and geek songstress, nominates pioneer physicist Hertha Ayrton.
02 Jan 2018,30 mins
Nazir Afzal on Gandhi
Nazir Afzal chooses Mahatma Gandhi as his great life.
26 Dec 2017,30 mins
Louise Richardson on Daniel O'Connell
Louise Richardson nominates Daniel O'Connell, hero of Catholic emancipation in 1829.
19 Dec 2017,30 mins
Cornelia Parker on Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp, father of conceptual art, is fellow artist Cornelia Parker's great life.
12 Dec 2017,30 mins
Will Gregory on Flann O'Brien
Goldfrapp's Will Gregory takes the stage to nominate Irish writer Flann O'Brien.
05 Dec 2017,30 mins
Agustin Barrios Mangore
John Williams discusses the life of Paraguayan guitarist Agustin Barrios Mangore.
19 Oct 2017,30 mins
Helena Morrissey on Rachael Heyhoe Flint
City boss Helena Morrissey champions the life of Rachael Heyhoe Flint as her great life.
26 Sep 2017,30 mins
Andrea Catherwood on Constance Markievicz
Constance Markievicz, Irish rebel countess and the first woman elected to Parliament.
19 Sep 2017,30 mins
Nicholas Stern on Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is economist Nicholas Stern's great life as he tells Matthew Parris.
12 Sep 2017,30 mins,
Helen Sharman on Elsie Widdowson
British spacewoman Helen Sharman chooses scientist Elsie Widdowson as her great life.
05 Sep 2017,30 mins
Tracy Chevalier on Mary Anning
Novelist Tracy Chevalier chooses the fossil hunter Mary Anning as her great life.
29 Aug 2017,1 min
Don McCullin on Norman Lewis
Don McCullin chooses his old travel companion Norman Lewis for Great Lives.
22 Aug 2017,30 mins
Sathnam Sanghera on Alexander Gardner
Writer Sathnam Sanghera nominates adventurer Alexander Gardner
18 Aug 2017,30 mins
Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse
Stephen Fry nominates his hero, PG Wodehouse, who just simply cheers him up.
08 Aug 2017,30 mins
Maxine Peake on Ellen Wilkinson
Maxine Peake nominates her working class hero the MP Ellen Wilkinson as her great life.
01 Aug 2017,30 mins
Iain Lee on Andy Kaufman
Cult legend Andy Kaufman chosen by Iain Lee as his great life.
30 May 2017,26 mins
Peter Williams of Jack Wills chooses Steve Jobs
Peter Williams of Jack Wills champions the abrasive Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.
23 May 2017,30 mins
Sue Cameron on Emma of Normandy
Twice queen of England and mother of two kings, but have you heard of Emma of Normandy?
16 May 2017,30 mins
Steven Knight on Sitting Bull
Steven Knight, creator of ‘Peaky Blinders’, nominates Sitting Bull.
09 May 2017,30 mins