Great Lives Episodes Episode guide
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Patricia Greene on Bess of Hardwick
Patricia Greene, the actress who plays Jill Archer, nominates Bess of Hardwick as her hero
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Simon Evans on JS Mill
Comedian Simon Evans nominates JS Mill, author of On Liberty.
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Erica Wagner on Roald Amundsen
Erica Wagner nominates the first man at the South Pole: Roald Amundsen
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Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie
Hanif Kureishi nominates his friend David Bowie as his hero.
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Barbara Stocking on Catherine the Great
Catherine the Great is chosen by Dame Barbara Stocking. Matthew Parris presents.
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Suzy Klein on Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr, actress, inventor, and the most beautiful woman in the world.
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Mica Paris on Josephine Baker
Soul singer Mica Paris tells Matthew Parris why Josephine Baker is her heroine.
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Simon Callow on Orson Welles
Matthew Parris meets the actor Simon Callow to discuss the life of Orson Welles.
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Tej Lalvani on Richard Feynman
Tej Lalvani nominates the physicist and bongo playing Richard Feynman as his great life.
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Laura Serrant on Audre Lorde
Laura Serrant chooses the poet and activist Audre Lorde. From 2018.
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Adrian Utley of Portishead on Miles Davis
Miles Davis chosen by Adrian Utley of Portishead.
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Ayesha Hazarika on Jayaben Desai
Ayesha Hazarika champions her hero Jayaben Desai who led the Grunwick strike in 1976.
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Jim Moir on Captain Beefheart
Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, chooses the life of Don van Vliet - Captain Beefheart.
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Liza Tarbuck on Nikola Tesla
Liza Tarbuck nominates Nikola Tesla as her great life. Matthew Parris presents.
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Justin Marozzi on Herodotus
Herodotus - father of history or father of lies? Matthew Parris presents.
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Gisela Stuart on Joseph Chamberlain
Gisela Stuart nominates Joseph Chamberlain as her great life.
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Hertha Ayrton
Helen Arney, scientist and geek songstress, nominates pioneer physicist Hertha Ayrton.
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Nazir Afzal on Gandhi
Nazir Afzal chooses Mahatma Gandhi as his great life.
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Louise Richardson on Daniel O'Connell
Louise Richardson nominates Daniel O'Connell, hero of Catholic emancipation in 1829.
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Cornelia Parker on Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp, father of conceptual art, is fellow artist Cornelia Parker's great life.
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Will Gregory on Flann O'Brien
Goldfrapp's Will Gregory takes the stage to nominate Irish writer Flann O'Brien.
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Helena Morrissey on Rachael Heyhoe Flint
City boss Helena Morrissey champions the life of Rachael Heyhoe Flint as her great life.
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Andrea Catherwood on Constance Markievicz
Constance Markievicz, Irish rebel countess and the first woman elected to Parliament.
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Nicholas Stern on Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is economist Nicholas Stern's great life as he tells Matthew Parris.
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Helen Sharman on Elsie Widdowson
British spacewoman Helen Sharman chooses scientist Elsie Widdowson as her great life.
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Tracy Chevalier on Mary Anning
Novelist Tracy Chevalier chooses the fossil hunter Mary Anning as her great life.
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Don McCullin on Norman Lewis
Don McCullin chooses his old travel companion Norman Lewis for Great Lives.
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Sathnam Sanghera on Alexander Gardner
Writer Sathnam Sanghera nominates adventurer Alexander Gardner
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Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse
Stephen Fry nominates his hero, PG Wodehouse, who just simply cheers him up.
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Maxine Peake on Ellen Wilkinson
Maxine Peake nominates her working class hero the MP Ellen Wilkinson as her great life.
