Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
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Helen Sharman on Elsie Widdowson
Tue 5 Sep 2017
British spacewoman Helen Sharman chooses scientist Elsie Widdowson as her great life.
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Tracy Chevalier on Mary Anning
Tue 29 Aug 2017
Novelist Tracy Chevalier chooses the fossil hunter Mary Anning as her great life.
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Don McCullin on Norman Lewis
Tue 22 Aug 2017
Don McCullin chooses his old travel companion Norman Lewis for Great Lives.
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Sathnam Sanghera on Alexander Gardner
Fri 18 Aug 2017
Writer Sathnam Sanghera nominates adventurer Alexander Gardner
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Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse
Tue 8 Aug 2017
Stephen Fry nominates his hero, PG Wodehouse, who just simply cheers him up.
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Maxine Peake on Ellen Wilkinson
Tue 1 Aug 2017
Maxine Peake nominates her working class hero the MP Ellen Wilkinson as her great life.
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Iain Lee on Andy Kaufman
Tue 30 May 2017
Cult legend Andy Kaufman chosen by Iain Lee as his great life.
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Peter Williams of Jack Wills chooses Steve Jobs
Tue 23 May 2017
Peter Williams of Jack Wills champions the abrasive Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.
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Sue Cameron on Emma of Normandy
Tue 16 May 2017
Twice queen of England and mother of two kings, but have you heard of Emma of Normandy?
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Steven Knight on Sitting Bull
Tue 9 May 2017
Steven Knight, creator of 鈥楶eaky Blinders鈥�, nominates Sitting Bull.
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Peaches Golding on Shirley Chisholm
Tue 2 May 2017
Peaches Golding OBE, nominates African American politician Shirley Chisholm.
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Anton Du Beke on Arnold Palmer
Tue 25 Apr 2017
Anton Du Beke chooses the golfer Arnold Palmer to discuss with Matthew Parris.
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Ermonela Jaho on Mother Teresa
Tue 18 Apr 2017
The Albanian opera singer Ermonela Jaho chooses the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
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Germaine Greer on Dame Elizabeth Frink
Tue 11 Apr 2017
Germaine Greer nominates sculptor Dame Elizabeth Frink. Presented by Matthew Parris.
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Gary Kemp on EW Godwin
Tue 4 Apr 2017
Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet chooses architect-designer, Edward William Godwin.
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Chris Patten on Pope John XXIII
Tue 24 Jan 2017
Chris Patten nominates Pope John XXIII. With Professor Eamon Duffy and Matthew Parris.
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Len Goodman on Lionel Bart
Tue 17 Jan 2017
Len Goodman champions Lionel Bart, the man who created the musical Oliver, as his hero.
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Akram Khan on Srinivasa Ramanujan
Tue 10 Jan 2017
One of the UK's leading choreographers nominates the Indian mathematician Ramanujan.
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Suzannah Lipscomb on CS Lewis
Tue 3 Jan 2017
CS Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles, chosen by historian Suzannah Lipscomb.
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Ruth Holdaway on Helen Rollason
Fri 30 Dec 2016
Ruth Holdaway picks the sports broadcaster Helen Rollason as her great life.
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Orlando Murrin on Dinu Lipatti
Tue 20 Dec 2016
Matthew Parris invites Orlando Murrin to discuss the life of Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti
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Sir Ben Kingsley on Elie Wiesel
Tue 13 Dec 2016
Sir Ben Kingsley champions the life of holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel as his great life.
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Cary Grant
Tue 6 Dec 2016
Lucy Porter, the comedian and writer, champions Cary Grant as her Great Life
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Cyrus Todiwala on Dadabhai Naoroji
Tue 27 Sep 2016
Cyrus Todiwala picks Dadabhai Naoroji who in 1892 became Britain's first Asian MP.
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AA Gill on Arthur Neville Chamberlain
Tue 20 Sep 2016
AA Gill nominates Arthur Neville Chamberlain as his great life.
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Eliza Carthy on Caroline Norton
Tue 13 Sep 2016
Eliza Carthy chooses Caroline Norton who campaigned for women in the 19th-century.
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Maureen Lipman on Dame Cicely Saunders
Tue 6 Sep 2016
Maureen Lipman champions the life of hospice campaigner Dame Cicely Saunders.
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Tony Hawks on Marshall Rosenberg
Tue 30 Aug 2016
The life of the creator of nonviolent communication Marshall Rosenber, with Matthew Parris
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Sara Pascoe on Virginia Woolf
Tue 16 Aug 2016
Sara Pascoe champions Virginia Woolf, author of 'Mrs Dalloway' and 'A Room of One's Own'.
Great Rock and Roll Lives
Stories of inspiration from great musicians from Bowie to Billie Holliday
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