Great Lives Episodes Episode guide
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Pat Nevin on Johan Cruyff
Pat Nevin picks Johan Cruyff, the Dutch footballer who changed how the game was played.
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Judy Garland
Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, picked by Susie Boyt.
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Joan Rhodes, strongest woman in the world
Anna Maxwell Martin proposes Joan Rhodes, variety artiste and strongwoman
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Rob Newman on Franklin D Roosevelt
Comedian Rob Newman nominates one of his heroes, President Franklin D Roosevelt.
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Mr Manchester Tony Wilson nominated by Terry Christian
Terry Christian from The Word on Tony Wilson of Factory Records and The Hacienda.
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Gil Scott-Heron
Joe Swift on Gil Scott-Heron
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Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge.
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Janet Ellis on Puffin editor Kaye Webb
Blue Peter's Janet Ellis champions a children's publishing sensation.
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Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post
Donald Macintyre on Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post and Drum.
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Brian Cox on Lindsay Anderson
Brian Cox on Lindsay Anderson
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Spike Milligan
Comedian and poet Henry Normal picks his comedy hero - Spike Milligan.
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Roma Agrawal on Mrinalini Sarabhai
The engineer and author Roma Agrawal on Indian classical dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai.
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Lady Hale on Lady Rhondda
Lady Hale on Lady Rhondda.
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William Lever, Lord Leverhulme, founder of Unilever
The mighty soap manufacturer, William Lever, chosen by the boss of Iceland
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Noor-Un-Nissa Inayat Khan
The muslim princess who became a WW2 Special Agent
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Jeanne Baret, first woman to sail round the globe
Nina Sosanya picks Jeanne Baret, first woman round the globe.
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Rory Sutherland on Johnny Ramone
The advertising guru Rory Sutherland on the founder of the New York punk band, the Ramones
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JRR Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit
Niall Ferguson chooses JRR Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
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Ruth Rogers on James Baldwin
Ruth Rogers chooses the life of writer James Baldwin.
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Yanis Varoufakis on Hypatia
The life and brutal death of a gifted mathematician and philosopher from the ancient world
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Dorothy Byrne on Catherine of Siena
The president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge champions the life of the Italian saint
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Peggy Seeger on her husband Ewan MacColl
Ewan MacColl - folk singer and labour activist - was born Jimmy Miller in Salford in 1915.
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Josiah Wedgwood, master potter
Tristram Hunt on Josiah Wedgwood, vase maker general to the universe!
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Frantz Fanon
The anti-colonial writer and psychiatrist from Martinique is the choice of Lindsay Johns
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Althea Gibson
The first black tennis player to win Wimbledon is the choice of Professor Devi Sridhar.
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Yehudi Menuhin
Violinist Tasmin Little on her hero, Sir Yehudi Menuhin.
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Hans Christian Andersen
Author of The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes, he was 'a very strange orchid'
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The Surprise Lives
A runaway rollercoaster of Great Lives.
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Rosie Millard on Edward III
Rosie tells Matthew Parris that Edward III was a cultural hero who deserves greater fame.
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Ben Miller on William Hazlitt
Actor and comedian Ben Miller nominates essayist William Hazlitt.
