David Dimbleby

First broadcast: Sun 24 Feb 2008

BBC journalist and presenter

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster David Dimbleby. When he was born, in 1938, his father Richard was already a national institution. Richard recorded reports from bombers flying over Germany, went to Belsen at the end of the war and, of course, commentated on the funeral of King George VI and subsequent coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In Desert Island Discs, David tells Kirsty how his father had tried to steer him away from journalism. But he believes that it is a job that is addictive and so it was perhaps inevitable that he would become part of the fifth generation of Dimblebys to pursue a career in the media.

He is best known for the big state events - he has anchored the BBC's general election coverage since 1979 and commentated during the funerals of both Princess Diana and the Queen Mother - throughout them all, he says, his method is not to think of the audience of millions, but instead to imagine himself sitting on a sofa, next to just one viewer, saying as little as he needs to in order to explain what is happening.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Choices

Franz Schubert

String Quintet in C major - 2nd movement

Orchestra: The Lindsays

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Castaway's favourite

Kate Dimbleby Band

Song that You’d Like

Blind Boy Fuller

You Can Never Tell

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David Lloyd

Anabelle Lee

Ivry Gitlis

Sonata for Solo Violin

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Benjamin Britten

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes - Dawn

Orchestra: The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden Conductor: Benjamin Britten

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George Frideric Handel

Non disperar, chi sa? (from Giulio Cesare)

Soloist: Danielle de Niese Orchestra: The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Conductor: William Christie

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Henry Purcell

When I am laid in earth (Dido's Lament) (from Dido and Aeneas)

Orchestra: The Band of The Irish Guards

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Book

Collected essays by Michel de Montaigne

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Luxury item

A collection of drawing books, pencils and varnish

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