Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
-
Bonnie Greer on the Women of the Morant Bay Rebellion
Wed 28 Sep 2022
The playwright Bonnie Greer nominates the women of the Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica.
-
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood nominated by Lesley Garrett
Tue 13 Sep 2022
Soprano Lesley Garrett celebrates the life of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
-
Romy Gill on poet Amrita Pritam
Tue 6 Sep 2022
Chef Romy Gill celebrates a poet whose work was heavily influenced by Partition.
-
Rosalind Franklin picked by Kate Bingham, former head of the UK government's vaccine taskforce
Tue 30 Aug 2022
Rosalind Franklin, whose work was central to the discovery of DNA.
-
Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Educationalist
Tue 23 Aug 2022
Sir John Timpson picks Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw.
-
-
-
Pat Nevin on Johan Cruyff
Tue 2 Aug 2022
Pat Nevin picks Johan Cruyff, the Dutch footballer who changed how the game was played.
-
-
Joan Rhodes, strongest woman in the world
Tue 24 May 2022
Anna Maxwell Martin proposes Joan Rhodes, variety artiste and strongwoman
-
Rob Newman on Franklin D Roosevelt
Tue 17 May 2022
Comedian Rob Newman nominates one of his heroes, President Franklin D Roosevelt.
-
Mr Manchester Tony Wilson nominated by Terry Christian
Tue 10 May 2022
Terry Christian from The Word on Tony Wilson of Factory Records and The Hacienda.
-
-
-
Janet Ellis on Puffin editor Kaye Webb
Tue 19 Apr 2022
Blue Peter's Janet Ellis champions a children's publishing sensation.
-
Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post
Tue 12 Apr 2022
Donald Macintyre on Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post and Drum.
-
-
-
Roma Agrawal on Mrinalini Sarabhai
Tue 18 Jan 2022
The engineer and author Roma Agrawal on Indian classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai.
-
-
William Lever, Lord Leverhulme, founder of Unilever
Tue 4 Jan 2022
The mighty soap manufacturer, William Lever, chosen by the boss of Iceland
-
-
Jeanne Baret, first woman to sail round the globe
Tue 21 Dec 2021
Nina Sosanya picks Jeanne Baret, first woman round the globe.
-
Rory Sutherland on Johnny Ramone
Tue 14 Dec 2021
The advertising guru Rory Sutherland on the founder of the New York punk band, the Ramones
-
JRR Tolkien, creator of the Hobbit
Tue 7 Dec 2021
JRR Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
-
-
Yanis Varoufakis on Hypatia
Tue 21 Sep 2021
The life and brutal death of a gifted mathematician and philosopher from the ancient world
-
Dorothy Byrne on Catherine of Siena
Tue 14 Sep 2021
The president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge champions the life of the Italian saint
-
Peggy Seeger on her husband Ewan MacColl
Tue 7 Sep 2021
Ewan MacColl - folk singer and labour activist - was born Jimmy Miller in Salford in 1915.
-
Josiah Wedgwood, master potter
Tue 31 Aug 2021
Tristram Hunt on Josiah Wedgwood, vase maker general to the universe!

