Main content

Johnny Vegas

Entertainer Johnny Vegas joins Kirsty Young to choose his Desert Island Discs.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the entertainer Johnny Vegas.

As a stand-up comic he made his name as one of the most brilliant and unpredictable acts on the circuit. His stage persona was a belligerent drunk who would heckle his own audience. But the more successful he became, the more the similarities between his own life and his stage character seemed to blur. "I found popularity through self-destruction" he says, "and that can be quite addictive". In recent years, he has cut down on his drinking, lost weight and now got engaged - all part of a plan to ensure he reached his 40th birthday and could be a proper father to his young son. "Life's actually turned around and been very good to me," he says.

Producer: Leanne Buckle

Record: Hurt - Johnny Cash
Book: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.
Luxury: A Kiln.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 8 Oct 2010 09:05
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Sir Tom Jones

Next

Sarah Doukas

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Johnny Cash

      Hurt

      Composer: Trent Reznor

      • American 1V: The Man Comes Around.
      • Lost Highway.

  • Deacon Blue

    Dignity

    Composer: R Ross

    • Raintown.
    • CBS.

  • The Who

    Love Reign O'er Me

    Composer: Pete Townshend

    • Quadrophenia.
    • Polydor.

  • Pulp

    Common People

    Composer: Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Doyle, Mackey, Pulp, Senior

    • Different Class.
    • Island.

  • Colin Hay

    Waiting for My Real Life to Begin

    Composer: Hay, Mooney

    • Going Somewhere.
    • Hypertension.

  • The Beautiful South

    Domino Man

    Composer: Paul Heaton, David Rotheray

    • 0898 Beautiful South.
    • GO DISCS.

  • The La’s

    There She Goes

    Composer: The La’s

    • Best Anthems Every.
    • Virgin.

  • Don McLean

    Vincent

    Composer: Don McLean

    • Don McLean:American Pie - Greatest Hits.
    • EMI.

  • Book Choice

    • The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - Robert Tressell

  • Luxury Choice

    • Kiln

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Johnny Vegas

Broadcasts

  • Sun 3 Oct 2010 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 8 Oct 2010 09:05
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast