Desert Island Discs

The playwright James Graham was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024.
He was a shy and quiet child who enjoyed nothing more than watching soap operas on TV. So what was he doing taking his "stripping vicar" ice-dancing routine on tour?
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021.
She recalls pushing herself in her final event at the London 2012 Olympics, the 800-metre race, and how throwing her hands up in the air as she crossed the finish line had not been part of the plan.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor Warwick Davis was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2016.
When his grandmother heard an advertisement on the radio looking for short people to play Ewoks in the next Star Wars film, she immediately thought of Warwick, but by the time his mother phoned the film studio, all the roles had been cast. Her powers of persuasion must have been quite something because, aged 11, Warwick found himself on set, dressed in a furry costume, and in the company of his on-screen heroes.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The singer-songwriter Lily Allen was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2014.
Although her school reports painted a mixed picture of Lily's academic achievements, a singing teacher spotted her vocal talent and encouraged her to perform. She brought the house down with a song from the Disney film Dumbo.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The film director Steven Spielberg was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.
He gave the world Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park, but Steven Spielberg got his start in the film business when he went on a bus tour of Universal Studios. He also explains why the frequently malfunctioning mechanical shark in Jaws was really a blessing in disguise.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.