Great Lives Podcast
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Episodes to download
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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'.
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Alex Salmond on Thomas Muir
Tue 9 Aug 2016
Alex Salmond chooses Thomas Muir, whom he describes as the father of Scottish democracy.
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Hilary Devey on Gracie Fields
Tue 2 Aug 2016
The life of Dame Gracie Fields is championed by Hilary Devey. From 2016.
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Frank Turner on Joseph Grimaldi
Tue 31 May 2016
Frank Turner chooses Joseph Grimaldi who changed the face of Clowning forever.
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Charles Moore on Gordon Hamilton-Fairley
Tue 17 May 2016
Cancer pioneer Gordon Hamilton-Fairley, killed by an IRA bomb when he was just 45.
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Richard the Lionheart
Tue 10 May 2016
Timmy Mallett chooses Richard the Lionheart. With Helen Castor and Matthew Parris.
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Graeme Lamb on Christine Granville
Tue 3 May 2016
Lt-Gen Sir Graeme Lamb champions wartime spy Christine Granville. Matthew Parris chairs
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Sudha Bhuchar chooses the life of Zohra Sehgal
Tue 26 Apr 2016
Playwright and actress Sudha Bhuchar nominates the life of actor Zohra Sehgal.
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Ray Peacock chooses the life of Lenny Bruce
Tue 19 Apr 2016
Comedian Ray Peacock nominates the controversial life of Lenny Bruce.
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Nancy Dell'Olio chooses the life of Lucrezia Borgia
Tue 12 Apr 2016
Nancy Dell'Olio champions the much maligned Lucrezia Borgia.
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Great Rock and Roll Lives
Stories of inspiration from great musicians from Bowie to Billie Holliday
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