Harry Hill, comedian
Harry Hill, comedian and writer, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item he would take with him if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.
Harry Hill is a comedian, writer and broadcaster best known for presenting popular television shows including You’ve Been Framed, Junior Bake Off and the multi award-winning TV Burp.
He was born Matthew Hall in Surrey and brought up in Kent. He became a Cub Scout and got a taste for performing when he was nine after playing Widow Twankey in the Christmas pantomime.
In 1983 he started studying medicine at St George’s Medical School in London and began work as a trainee doctor in 1988. He wrote and performed in medical revues during this time and comedy became his true passion. In 1990 he made the decision to follow his heart and leave medicine to try his luck as a stand-up.
In 1993 Harry got his first show on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 – Harry Hill’s Fruit Corner. Four years later he starred in his own television series on Channel 4 which allowed him to channel his off-the-wall humour in a series of wildly unpredictable comedy sketches.
In 2001 he started writing and presenting Harry Hill’s TV Burp on ITV which looked back at the week’s television output in a series of comedy sketches and inventive parodies. The show won three BAFTAs, three Royal Television Society awards, a Rose d’Or and Seven British Comedy Awards.
Harry lives in London with his wife Magda. They have three children.
DISC ONE: Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) - Benny Hill
DISC TWO: Have I The Right - The Honeycombs
DISC THREE: Grandad’s Flannelette Nightshirt - George Formby
DISC FOUR: Gay Bar - Electric Six
DISC FIVE: Life During Wartime - Talking Heads
DISC SIX: Hey Bulldog - The Beatles
DISC SEVEN: Never Give Up on Love - Steve Brown
DISC EIGHT: Life Is The Name Of The Game - Bruce Forsyth
BOOK CHOICE: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
LUXURY ITEM: A bucket and spade
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Never Give Up on Love - Steve Brown
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Featured
-
.
Broadcasts
- Sun 3 Aug 2025 10:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
- Fri 8 Aug 2025 09:00ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
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
-
Desert Island Discs
Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.