Last Word

Matthew Bannister on Nora Cortiñas, a founding member of Argentina’s “Mothers of the Disappeared” campaign group. Her son Gustavo was 24 when he was arrested by the country’s right-wing dictatorship. He was never seen again. Belinda Bellville, the fashion designer who dressed every female member of the royal family apart from Queen Elizabeth. Her business partner David Sassoon shares his memories.The poet John Burnside whose acclaimed work reflected his troubled childhood in Cowdenbeath and Corby.Roger Corman, the American film director and producer known for his prolific output of low budget pictures.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Exhibition of Belinda Bellville dresses at Holkham Hall, BBC Norfolk, 17/04/2013; Princess Goes To Washington (1965). Pathe News, 21/11/1965; Wild Music, Radio 4, 29/12/2019; Belief: John Burnside, BBC Radio 3; 04/04/2012; The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960) Official Trailer; Masque Of The Red Death (1964) Trailer; Attack of the Crab Monsters Official Trailer; Viking Women and the Sea Serpent (1957) Trailer; It Conquered the World (1956) Theatrical Trailer; Horror Café, BBC 2, 15/09/1990; The Film Programme, BBC Radio 4, 30/05/2008;

Matthew Bannister onRichard M Sherman who teamed up with his brother Robert to write some of Disney’s best loved songs.Professor Wendy James CBE, the anthropologist who studied the Uduk tribes of Sudan.June Mendoza OBE, the portrait painter whose subjects included members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and celebrities.Morgan Spurlock, the film maker best known for his Oscar nominated documentary about the fast food industry “Supersize Me”.Interviewee: Brian Sibley Interviewee: Dr Douglas Johnson Interviewee: Anna Smith Interviewee: Kim MackrellProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Richard Sherman, Outlook, BBC Radio 4, 29 Aug 2016; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Trailer, Dir: Ken Hughes, MGM, 1968; Mary Poppins trailer, Director: Robert Stevenson, Disney, 1964; Julie Andrews, Feed The Birds, Composer Sherman; Richard Sherman, The Film Programme, BBC Radio 4, 30 May 2008; Richard Sherman, Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 26 Oct 2007; Richard Sherman, Soul Music, BBC Radio 4, 03 May 2016; It's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, Walt Disney; Richard Sherman interview, Empire Magazine, YouTube, uploaded 12 Aug 2013; Interview with Professor Wendy James, Apollo, University of Cambridge Repository, Dir: Alan Macfarlane, Edit: Sarah Harrison, dspace.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/223956, 15 May 2009; Super Size Me, 2004, Writer/Director: Morgan Spurlock, Samuel Goldwyn Film, You Tube, uploaded 17 May 2024; Super Size Me, Official Movie Trailer, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 2004; Super Size Me 2, Official Trailer, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 2019; Morgan Spurlock interview, ABC News, YouTube uploaded, 19 Sept 2019; June Mendoza, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 08 Sept 1979; June Mendoza, Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 25 May 1988;

Matthew Bannister onThe Irish rugby star and businessman Sir Tony O’Reilly. He made billions but ended up bankrupt.The hardline President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi.Penny Simkin, who championed the role of birth doulas to help mothers during and after labour.Professor Alasdair Geddes, the infectious diseases expert who diagnosed the world’s last ever case of smallpox – in Birmingham.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Penny Simkin, YouTube upload, PSfromPenny, 27/10/2009; Penny Simkin, YouTube upload, PSfromPenny, 22/03/2011; Today Programme, Radio 4, BBC, 20/05/2024; Newshour, BBC World Service, 20/05/2024; News report by Philip Hayton, Sound Archive, BBC Radio 4, 11/02/1979; Ebrahim Raisi interviewed by Lesley Stahl, CBS Interactive Inc., YouTube upload, 60 Minutes, 19/05/2024; BBC profile on Tony O’Reilly, 24/01/1975; Conversation Piece, Radio 4, 02/12/1985; People in profile, Radio Ulster, 06/09/1980; The Last Case of Smallpox in the UK, BBC News, 31/08/2016

Matthew Bannister onDame Shirley Conran, the journalist and author best known for her books “Superwoman” and “Lace”.Baroness Doreen Massey, the educator and former director of the Family Planning AssociationBeverly LaHaye the founder of Concerned Women of America who campaigned to stop the Equal Rights Amendment.Steve Albini, the controversial musician who worked many influential albums including Nirvava’s “In Utero”.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: National Women’s Coalition for Life, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 03/04/1992; Former President Trump Speaks at Concerned Women for America Summit, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 15/09/2023; Beverly LaHaye, Concernedwomen.org, 23/02/2017; President Reagan's Remarks at Convention of Concerned Women for America, Reagan Library, YouTube upload, 28/11/2017; The PTL Club, The PTL Club – Heritage USA, YouTube upload, 12/08/2022; Woman's Hour, 07/11/2014; Woman's Hour, 02/08/2012; Graham Norton, BBC Radio 2, 14/07/2012; The Stephen McCauley Show, BBC Radio Ulster, 29/08/2022; House of Lords, parliament.tv, 24/04/2019; Baroness Massey Stories of Democracy, House of Lords, YouTube upload, 22/11/2012

Matthew Bannister on Anne Dagg, the Canadian biologist known as The Woman Who Loves Giraffes for her lifelong study of the animals.Professor Ross Anderson, the computer scientist who was a leading expert on data protection and online security.Reverend Cecil Murray, the pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles who played a pivotal role during the riots of 1992.Kris Hellenga, who was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 23 and set up the charity Coppafeel to encourage other young women to check their breasts.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Archive of Anne Dagg, The Woman who loves Giraffes, Pursuing Giraffe Adventures Inc, 2018; Newsnight, BBC Two, 01/07/1992; Newsnight, BBC Two, 11/02/2010; Ross Anderson Interviewed by Elisabetta Mori, Archives of IT, YouTube Upload, 20/03/2024; Digitalize in Stockholm ’22, DigitalFuturesHub, YouTube Upload, 28/10/22; USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, YouTube Upload 22/02/2021; BBC Radio Cornwall, 12/10/2021;

Matthew Bannister on an author, a campaigner, an Olympic medallist, a conductor

Matthew Bannister onThe American journalist Terry Anderson who was held captive in Lebanon for almost seven years. In an emotional interview, his daughter Sulome tells us how she followed in his footsteps as she tried to connect with a father she met for the first time when she was seven years old. Lord Field who, the Labour MP Frank Field who campaigned tirelessly for welfare reform.Trina Robbins the feminist cartoonist and writer who was the first woman to illustrate the Wonder Woman comics.Ann Trevenen Jenkin the first woman Grand Bard of Cornwall and a founding member of the Cornish nationalist party Mebyon Kernow.Interviewee: Sulome Anderson Interviewee: Ellin Stein Interviewee: Liam Halligan Interviewee: Loveday Jenkin Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive Used:Sulome Anderson writes a letter to her father on his birthday, BBC News, 07/10/1991; Terry Anderson release, Live press conference, BBC News, 04/12/1991; Terry Anderson interview, BBC Radio 1, 01/01/2000; Terry Anderson on What It’s Like to Live as a Hezbollah Hostage, Slate. YouTube Channel uploaded, 17/11/2014; Trina Robbins, Meet Trina Robbins, the first woman to draw Wonder Woman for D.C. Comics, KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco, YouTube uploaded 30/03/2023; Frank Field MP interview, Straight Talk, BBC News, 19/06/2010; Frank Field, Profile, BBC Radio 4, 13/12/2014; Frank Field, Lent Talks, BBC Radio 4, 01/04/2009; Ann Trevenen Jenkin interviewed by Carmen Talbot for Dreadnought South West’s Rebellious Sounds Archive, 2019; Ann Trevenen Jenkin interview, Cornish March, BBC News, 21/06/1997;

Sulome Anderson first met her father – journalist Terry Anderson – at the American Embassy in Damascus. She was seven years old and he had just been released from nearly seven years as a hostage in Lebanon. She desperately wanted to build a relationship with him, even going so far as to become a war correspondent herself and tracking down and meeting one of his captors. But Terry’s traumatic experiences made the task very challenging. When she was nearly kidnapped in the Middle East herself, she became determined to break out of the “cycle of fascination with war” that had bedevilled the family. In this moving interview recorded shortly after Terry’s death she speaks candidly about the pressures they faced. Presented by Matthew Banister Produced by Gareth Nelson-Davies and Eirian Jones

Matthew Bannister on:Sir Paul Fox, the respected TV executive who commissioned some of the best loved programmes of the 1960s and 70s. We have a tribute from his former colleague Sir David Attenborough. Lynne Reid Banks, the author best known for her novel “The L Shaped Room.”Joan Hills, the artist who played a key role in the art world of the 1960s and, with her husband and two children, was part of the Boyle Family quartet.Amnon Weinstein, the luthier who collected and restored violins which had been played in concentration camps during the Second World War.Interviewee: Sir David Attenborough Interviewee: Gillon Stephenson Interviewee: Georgia Boyle Interviewee: Avshalom Weinstein Interviewee: Jaap HamburgerProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive Used: Sportsview, BBC Television, 27/01/1955; Roger Bannister 4 minute mile news report, BBC Archive Newsreel, 07/05/1954; Interview with Paul Fox, The Oral History of the BBC, connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org, 30/11/1984; Lynne Reid Banks interview with Rita Hayworth1956, On This Day, ITN Archive Facebook channel, uploaded 13/07/2022; L-Shaped Room, Official Trailer, 20th Century Fox, 1962, Dir: Bryan Forbes; Lynne Reid Banks interview, With Great Pleasure, BBC Radio 4, 24/09/1999; Reading extract, The Indian in the Cupboard, Episode 1, BBC Radio 4, 02/10/1986; Official Film Promo, Paramount Pictures, Dir: Frank Oz, 1995; Lynne Reid Banks talks about how her life would be different if she couldn't write, gconversations YouTube Channel, uploaded 25/10/2012; Joan Hills interview, The Boyle Family, BBC Four, 27/08/2003; Amnon Weinstein 2018, Alabama Holocaust Education Center, YouTube uploaded 02/06/2022; Violins of Hope, CBS Sunday Morning, YouTube uploaded 22/03/2024;

Matthew Bannister on Professor Peter Higgs, the physicist who won the Nobel prize for explaining why the building blocks of the universe have mass. Trevor Griffiths, the playwright whose stage and TV dramas focused on left wing politics and social issues. We have a tribute from the actor Jack Shepherd. Hella Pick, the long serving Guardian foreign correspondent who enjoyed the company of many world leaders. Margaret Tynes, the African-American soprano who sang leading operatic roles and worked with Duke Ellington.Interviewee: Roland Pease Interviewee: Dr Alan Walker Interviewee: Jack Shepherd Interviewee: Paul Allen Interviewee: Linda Christmas Interviewee: Michael HarperProducer: Catherine PowellArchive used: BBC News at Six : 04/07/2012; BBC The Life Scientific 18/02/2014; Nobel Prize Announcement in Physics 2013, Youtube, 08/10/2013; All Good Men, Play for Today, BBC 1, 31/01/1974; Trevor Griffiths, BFI, YouTube Upload, 02/06/2017; Through the Night, Play for Today, BBC 1, 04/08/1977; Trevor Griffiths interviewed by Sir Tony Robinson, Showreel 88, BBC2, 26/12/1988; Hardtalk, BBC, 1997; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 16/11/2018; Aida - 'Ritorna vincitor' az I. felvonásból, 08/09/1962; Macbeth - 'Una macchia e qui tuttora' a IV. felvonásból (Gran Scena del Sonnambulismo / Alvajáró jelenet) 08/09/1962; A Drum Is a Woman, Pt. 1 by Duke Ellington, Margaret Tynes, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra; "Salome" excerpt, Spoleto, 1961

Matthew Bannister on Joe Lieberman, the US Democrat politician who fell out with his party over the Iraq War. Diana Baring, the respected literary agent. We have a tribute from her client Frederick Forsyth. Lynn Kinnear, who was one of the most influential landscape architects of her generation. Kay Benbow, who commissioned and made many acclaimed TV shows for children. Interviewee: Matt Lieberman Interviewee: Frederick Forsyth Interviewee: Caroline Dawnay Interviewee: Sean Griffiths Interviewee: Kim TserkezieProducer: Catherine Powell Archive used: Joe Lieberman addresses the Senate floor, 04/09/1998, AP Archive, YouTube upload, 21/07/2015; Joe Lieberman interview, The Mehdi Hasan Show, MSNBC, YouTube Upload, 27/10/2021; Joe Lieberman interview, HardTalk, BBC News, 29/06/2017; Joe Lieberman interview, All things considered, NPR, 12/10/2015; Late Night with Conan O'Brien 15/01/2003 Show Executive Producers Lorne Michaels Jeff Ross; The Day of the Jackal trailer, Universal City Studios LLC, IMDb, 1973; Walthamstow Wetlands, London Wildlife Trust, YouTube upload 04/2021; Lynn Kinnear interviewed by Hattie Hartman, 01/07/2022; Balamory Theme Song – BBC Foster Paterson; Woman's Hour : Children's Television; 12/09/2014; Nina and the Neurons BBC Series 2 “Nina’s Cake Bakes” 02/04/2008; The Clangers, Smallfilms for the BBC, 31/10/08

John Wilson onRichard Taylor, who became a tireless campaigner against knife crime and supported disadvantaged young people. Lisa Lane, the chess champion who was the first player to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Rose Dugdale, the English heiress and debutante who went onto join the IRA. Ian Green, the Scottish folk music champion who started the record label Greentrax. Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Rose Dugdale – Mná an IRA, Sé Merry Doyle Loopline Film, 2012; Rose Dugdale charges, BBC News, 06/05/1974; Anti-war march 1967,BBC,26/03/1967; Alfred Beit – Russborough House interview, Midweek, BBC, 03/07/1974; What’s my Line, Freemantle – May 1961, YouTube upload 26/04/2014; BBC Archive – News report Rose sentencing, BBC, 27/11/1974; BBC News – report on murder of Damilola; BBC News – Hardtalk; BBC News interview with Richard Taylor; Ian McCalman – Farewell to the haven; Shian Road sung by Isla St Clair. Written by Ian McCalman; The Pearl Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham and Violet Tulloch; Take the Floor – 19/02/11 Programme number: 10L33047/01; Dateline East Asia Presented By Kathryn Davies;

In this special edition of Last Word, John Boyega pays tribute to campaigner Richard Taylor, the father of Damilola Taylor who was killed 24 years ago.Richard Taylor - a Nigerian civil servant - dedicated years to improving the lives of disadvantaged children in the wake of his son's death via the Damilola Taylor Trust. Mr Taylor said he wanted his son to be remembered as a boy of hope and for his legacy to be a better life and opportunities for underprivileged young people.Boyega - best known for his roles in Star Wars sequel movies – was schoolfriends with Damilola Taylor in South London, as well as being a beneficiary of the Trust set up in his friend’s name.John was one of the last people to see him alive. Until now he had never spoken about that night, or the impact the death of Damilola has had on him.Presented by John Wilson Produced by Ed Prendeville

Matthew Bannister on Vince Power, the live music promoter whose Mean Fiddler group operated a string of London venues and built up the Reading and Leeds festivals. Olga Murray, the American lawyer who devoted her later life to helping the children of Nepal. Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, the Italian businesswoman who ran a major container shipping company. Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the Dragon Ball series which has millions of fans around the world.Interviewee: Melvin Benn Interviewee: Shaun Clarkson Interviewee: Gina Parker Interviewee: Som Paneru Interviewee: Janet Porter Interviewee: Chris Gray Interviewee: Shao Dow Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used; Reading Festival 2023 Aftermovie promo, Reading and Leeds Festival, YouTube uploaded 27/10/2023; Vince Power interview , BBC 6Music, 27/03/2008; Vince Power interview, BBC Radio London, 04/12/2022; The Pogues appearance at the Mean Fiddler, 26/01/201986; New Order appearance at the Reading Festival, Reading Festival,1989; Olga Murray interview, Nepal Youth Foundation, YouTube uploaded, 17/09/2012; Olga Murray presentation, TEDx Talks, YouTube uploaded 18/11/2015; Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello acceptance speech, Lloyds Group, YouTube uploaded 28/10/2015; ShaDow Clone, Shao Dow, YouTube uploaded 26/01/2024;

Matthew Bannister onAudrey Adams who became a tireless campaigner for the rights of black people after her son was stabbed to death in a racist attack.Nicola Trahan, who joined the French Resistance as a teenager and was later awarded the Croix de Guerre. Edward Bond, the controversial playwright who played a key role in the abolition of censorship in British theatre.The singer and songwriter Eric Carmen whose biggest hit “All By Myself” was based on a Rachmaninov piano concerto.Interviewee: Lord Simon Woolley Interviewee: Reverend Eleanor Rance Interviewee: Simon Callow and Sean Holmes Interviewee: Debbie Wiseman Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: French Wartime Service: Musical Items, Sound Archive, BBC; D-Day Announcement - Communique No. 1, Sound Archive, BBC; The Reverend Al Sharpton, Kilroy BBC 1, BBC; Audrey Adams interviewed by C4 news in 2021, C4 News, YouTube upload, 19/03/2021; Edward Bond interview - TX Date: 12.10.2011; Eric Carmen - Never Gonna fall in love again; Eric Carmen - All by myself; The Raspberries – Go all the way

Matthew Bannister onIris Apfel the colourful fashion and interior designer whose own dress sense made an impact until her death aged 102.Dr Colin Murray Parkes, the psychiatrist once described as “the David Attenborough of the bereavement world.”Baroness Henig, the deputy House of Lords Speaker who was a historian and expert on the security industry.Jim Lawrence who became skipper of a Thames sailing barge aged eighteen and went on to set up a successful sail making business in Essex. Interviewee: Dame Zandra Rhodes Interviewee: Laura Higginson Interviewee: Debbie Kerslake Interviewee: David Henig Interviewee: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Interviewee: Simon Devonshire KCProducer: Catherine PowellArchive used: Iris Apfel on BBC Radio 4 “Woman's Hour” 31/07/2015; Colin Murray Parkes on BBC Radio 4 “Word of Mouth - The Language of Bereavement and Grief” 14/01/23; BBC Wales “Aberfan 2 days after the disaster” 24/10/1966; BBC News 20/09/2001; St Thomas Church Memorial Service, BBC New Special, BBC, 20/09/2001; Colin Murray Parkes courtesy: Cruse Bereavement Support, YouTube 23/09/2019; Baroness Henig on Woman's Hour - 20/10/2011; House of Lords 08/11/23; Parliamentlive.tv. BBC Parliament “Levelling up and Regeneration” 6/9/24; Jim Lawrence: Jim Lawrence singing, “The Singing Bargee”, Paul Desmond, YouTube 14/11/2012; Jim Lawrence Recalls His Early Days, Paul Desmond, YouTube uploaded 14 Nov 2012

John Wilson on the celebrated sculptor Nicholas Dimbleby, responsible for numerous well known commissions around the country. Lord Patrick Cormack the politician, historian and prolific author.Wendy Mitchell, the author and blogger who was diagnosed with young onset dementia and worked tirelessly to help improve the understanding of the condition. Eleanor Fazan, the theatre director, choreographer and actor. Her career spanned almost 70 years and saw her working with some of the biggest names in the business.Archive Details Archive used:. “Wogan” BBC 1 10/12/1986. BBC Midlands Today News 13/7/2011. BBC News West 09/09/1999. “The Bright Side of Life” BBC Radio 4 21/11/2023 & 28/11/2023 Parliamentlive.tv 21/02/23 & 05/09/19. The Michael Ball Show, BBC Radio 2, BBC, 16/01/2022 Wendy Mitchell reads from “Somebody I used to know”. Bloomsbury publishing, uploaded to Youtube 29 Jan 2018. "The Complete Beyond The Fringe" Label - Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company. Oh! It's a Lovely War, Title Oh! It's a Lovely War Performer - Courtland and Jeffries Album - Oh! It's A Lovely War (Volume 1) Label - CD41 Recordings. Stage to Screen BBC

John Wilson onAlexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner and leading opponent of President Vladimir Putin, who has died in a Russian state prison. Dr Brooke Ellison, an American academic and disabilities rights advocate who drew on her own experience of living with quadriplegia.Gertrude Wright, who survived the bombing of her German home city during World War Two and went on to become a translator for Field Marshall Montgomery.And Steve Brown, the music composer who worked on comedy productions such as Alan Partridge, Spitting Image, Dead Ringers and many more productions. Steve Coogan and Harry Hill pay tribute.Interviewee: Nikolai Petrov Interviewee: Jean Ellison Interviewee: Professor Stephen Post Interviewee: James Holland Interviewee: Steve Coogan Interviewee: Harry HillProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Alexei Navalny, Profile, BBC Radio 4, 27/10/2012; BBC News, 05/12/2011; Alexei Navalny, HardTalk, BBC News, 19/01/2017; Navalny, Cable Network News, Dogwool, BBC Storyville, Director: Daniel Roher; 2022; Brooke Ellison, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 21/09/2010; Brooke Ellison, Tedx Talks, YouTube uploaded 14/07/2015; Brooke Ellison interview, Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, YouTube upload 28/09/2023; Brooke Ellison Harvard Commencement Speech, June 2000; Magdeburg Blitzed, Pathe Gazettes/Pathe, 1944; Steve Brown, The Mitch Benn Music Show, BBC Radio 4 Extra, 12/04/2009 (original TX 2006); Steve Brown/Glen Ponder, Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, BBC Two, 05/08/2002; Spend, Spend Spend promo, Barbara Dickson/Steve Brown/Justin Green, Chariot Records, Released 06/05/2016; I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical, YouTube 04/11/2013; Steve Brown singing on Newsnight, BBC TWO, 20/03/1992

Matthew Bannister onThe much-loved Radio 1 and 2 DJ Steve Wright. We have a tribute from his former colleague Simon Mayo.Baroness Flather, who was the first Asian woman to sit in the House of Lords.Alan Mills, the Wimbledon tennis referee who had to deal with tantrums on court.Angela Peberdy, the train announcer known as “the golden voice of British Rail”.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive Used The Six o’clock News, BBC 1, 25/06/1985; Network East: Big Talk, Asia 2 BBC 2, 14/11/1998; Daily Politics, BBC2, 17/01/2012; Three Bridges - Platform 4 for the Victoria train - 27/01/1989; Lewisham - Platform 4 for the Bexleheath line service to Dartford - 26/07/1990; Angela Peberdy On London Plus, 27/11/1986; Newsnight, BBC Two, 17/06/1983; BBC Breakfast Time, BBC 1, 19/06/1986; Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs Extra, BBC Radio 2, 08/02/24; Steve Writght in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2, 09/03/2010; Steve Wright in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2, 22/02/2008; Steve Wright in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2, 28/09/22; Steve Wright in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2, 27/09/22; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 1, 10/01/94; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 1, 24/12/93; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2, 29/09/22; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2, 25/09/22; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2, 14/09/22; Steve Wright - Sunday Love Songs, BBC Radio 1, 04/02/2010; Steve Wright in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2, 29/09/2022; Steve Wright, BBC Radio 1, 01/01/1988

Matthew Bannister onDr Lowitja O’Donoghue who overcame a traumatic childhood to become one of Australia’s leading campaigners for the rights of indigenous people.Ian Lavender, the actor best known for playing Private Pike in Dad’s Army.Robie Harris, whose book explaining sex to children made her one of America’s most banned authors.Barry John, the Welsh and British and Irish Lions fly-half known simply as “The King”. Interviewee: Stuart Rintoul Interviewee: Paul Abbandonato Interviewee: Hilary Gagan Interviewee: Rick Wakeman Interviewee: Michael EmberleyProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Dr O’Donoghue speaking at the Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2016, Lowitja Institute International, YouTube upload 07/09/2023; Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, Australian Biography Series 3, Film Australia Collection 1994, Director & Producer Frank Heimans, YouTube upload 01/06/2021; Native Title Act News Report, BBC News, BBC One, 22/12/1993 Barry John: The King, BBC One Wales, 08/032013; Barry John, Scotland v Wales, Five Nations, BBC One, 1971; Barry John, Cardiff v Wales, BBC One Wales, 1969; Barry John playing for Lions v New Zealand, BBC One Wales, 22/03/2013; Barry John, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 12/12/1978; Robie Harris On Kids' Right To Read, National Coalition Against Censorship, YouTube, 01/02/2014; Robie Harris on KidLit TV, 07/11/2014; Ian Lavender, Celebrity MasterMind, BBC One, 01/01/2009; , Dad's Army: Series 5, Asleep in the Deep, BBC One, 04/01/1977; Dads Army, Battle of the Giants!, BBC One, 26/08/1972; Dads Army, The Deadly Attachment, 31/10/1973; Ian Lavender interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 14/11/2022; Ian Lavender interview, 5’s Company, 1997, Freemantle, YouTube upload 24/08/2018

Matthew Bannister onFrank Farian, the German music producer behind the hugely successful group Boney M, who caused controversy when it was revealed that his duo Milli Vanilli had been miming at all their live shows. We hear from Boney M singer Liz Mitchell.Medical journalist Caroline Richmond who founded the Campaign Against Health Fraud, now known as HealthSense.Professor Phil Baines, the respected typographer who designed many book covers and public signs as well as the memorial to the victims of the 7/7 2005 bombings in London.Norma Izard, who managed the England Women’s Cricket team, leading them to win the World Cup and creating the trophy for the women’s Ashes series.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: London Plus, BBC 1 South East, 09/10/1985; Sixty Minutes, BBC 1, 07/06/1984; BBC Breakfast Time, BBC, 25/03/1986; Caroline Richmond’s interviewed on Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio Four, 27/04/2000; England v New Zealand - Women's World Cup Final, 5 Live, 01.08.1993; Phil Baines - Form and content: reflections on the practice and responsibilities of book design, Real Smart Media, 25/04/2012; From Priesthood to Art and Design, Central Saint Martins

Matthew Bannister onNorma Barzman, the screenwriter from the Golden Age of Hollywood who fled to Europe after facing being blacklisted from the House Un-American Activities Committee for her Communist views. Lord Saye and Sele, the aristocrat who served in the army during the Second World War, then worked to restore the historic family seat Broughton Castle.James 'Jim' Hobson, the Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire who was in charge of the Yorkshire Ripper enquiry when Peter Sutcliffe was arrested.Susan Campbell, the illustrator who co-founded the Walled Kitchen Garden Network.Interviewee: Larry Ceplair Interviewee: John Barzman Interviewee: Martin Fiennes Interviewee: Franco Pardini Interviewee: Jim Buckland Interviewee: Caroline ConranProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:CSULB Human Rights Forum - Norma Barzman, the Advanced Media Production Center, California State University Long Beach, Beach TV CSULB, YouTube, uploaded 06/04/2009; The Locket (1946), RKO Radio Pictures; Norma Barzman, Hollywood Exiles, Podcast, BBC World Service, 15/01/2024; The House Committee of Un-American Activities Actuality, Omnibus, Hollywood on Trial, BBC Two, 04/11/1973; Give us This Day (1949) Dir, Edward Dmytryk; IMDB; Lord Saye and Seye interview, From D-Day to Bergen-Belsen: Lord Saye & Sele, Dir/Prod Nathan Portlock-Allan, YouTube uploaded 26/01/2021; Lord Seye and Sele, SignPost, BBC, 25/04/1962; News Conference, Newsbeat, BBC Radio, 04/09/1979; The Yorkshire Ripper Files: A Very British Crime Story, BBC Four, 11/04/2019; Susan Campbell "Trained Fruit in Historic Kitchen Gardens", Garden Conservation YouTube uploaded 30/09/2022; Susan Campbell makes her first visit to Althorp, Episode 8, Walled Garden Historian, spencer1508.com;

Matthew Bannister onAnnie Nightingale who was Radio 1’s first female presenter and its longest serving DJ. Her son remembers meeting Jimi Hendrix over breakfast in her kitchen and the 72-hour-party at her home featuring some of the biggest names of the dance music scene.Isca Salzberger-Wittenberg, the psychoanalyst who changed the approach to treating young people’s mental health.Bryan Ansell, the games designer who co-created Warhammer and helped led the growth of the Games Workshop company.And Charlie Allan who was a Scottish farmer, an economist, a broadcaster and a caber tossing champion.Interviewee: Alex Nightingale Interviewee: Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg OBE Interviewee: Dr Valerie Sinason Interviewee: Sir Ian Livingstone CBE Interviewee: Susie Malcolm Interviewee: Frieda MorrisonProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Annie Nightingale 1940-2024, BBC Radio 1, 14/01/2024; Annie Nightingale, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 24/07/2020; Interview with Annie Nightingale, Sussex-BBC Centenary Interview part of the Connected Histories of the BBC project, Full interview Connected Histories connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org; Annie Nightingale interview, BBC Radio 1, Vintage, 22/12/2018; Old Grey Whistle Test, 100 Voices, BBC Four, 23/02/2018; The Oldest Living Child Psychotherapist, 99 year old Isca Wittenberg, Legacy Interview, MINDinMIND, Youtube uploaded, 02/03/2021; Dungeons and Dragons News report, BBC News South East, 06/10/1983; Fantasy Board Games report, BBC Breakfast, BBC News 20/08/1984; Warhammer 40000, Darktide, Soundtrack, Fatshark Youtube, uploaded 18/11/2022; Charlie Allan sings, Blue Grey Coo and Other Bothy Ballads, Ardo Pedigree Cattle, published 1979; Charlie Allan, Man O' Pairts,BBC Radio Scotland, 03/01/2024;

Matthew Bannister onCamila Batmanghelidjh who founded the charity Kids Company to help disadvantaged children. The charity collapsed amidst controversy, although she was later cleared of any wrongdoing.Sir Roy Calne, the surgeon who carried out the UK’s first successful liver transplant operation. He was also a talented artist. Glynis Johns, the actor best known for playing the suffragette Winifred Banks in the film of Mary Poppins.JPR Williams, one of the greatest full backs in rugby history, who made many appearances for Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Sir Ian McGeechan pays tribute. Interviewee: Steve Chalke Interviewee: Tim Rayment Interviewee: Professor John Wallwork Interviewee: Peter Jackson Interviewee: Sir Ian McGeechanCORRECTION: in this episode, Professor John Wallwork is credited as a former Chairman of Royal Papworth Hospital, NHS Foundation. He was in fact the current Chairman at time of recording. Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Camila Batmanghelidjh interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 27/10/2006; Camila Batmanghelidjh interview, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 12 Feb 2016; Camila Batmanghelidjh interview, Listed Londoner, BBC Radio London, recorded 01/2013; Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, Podcast, 25/02/2021; Sir Roy Calne interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 01/03/1996; Sir Roy Calne interview, History of transplantation, ISN Video Legacy Project, 2003; Glynis Johns interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 24.04.1976; JPR Williams try, Wales v England 1976, 5 Nations championship, Guinness Six Nations YouTube channel, uploaded 06/03/2020; JPR Williams drop goal 1971, British & Irish Lions, uploaded 13/03/2017; JPR Williams needed stiches during match, Bridgend v New Zealand, 1978;

Matthew Bannister onJohn Pilger, the campaigning journalist who made award winning films about human rights abuses and was an outspoken critic of British and US foreign policy.K.M. Peyton, the author of many “pony” books for children and adolescents, including the “Flambards” trilogy.Paula Murphy, the American racing driver once described as “the fastest woman on wheels”.Michael Blakemore, the versatile theatre director who was the only person to win Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Musical in the same year.Interviewee: Sam Pilger Interviewee: Anthony Hayward Interviewee: Meg Rosoff Interviewee: Hilary Peyton Interviewee: Pam Miller Interviewee: Conrad Blakemore Interviewee: Greta ScacchiProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: John Pilger, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 18/02/1990; Year Zero: The Silent Death of Cambodia, (ATV) ITV, 1979 p/d David Munro; Cambodia: Year One, (ATV), ITV, 10 September 1980, p/d David Munro; John Pilger interview with Kim Hill, TVNZ's 1News, 1 News, YouTube uploaded, 24/11/2023; KM Peyton interview, Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 27/04/2009; KM Peyton interview, Womans Hour, BBC Radio 4, 20/02/2016; Flambards TV Series, TV Theme and scene extract, ITV, 02/02/1979; Paula Murphy interview/clips, Paula Murphy: Undaunted, Documentary, Fox Sports, Director Pam Miller, released 2023, Michael Blakemore interview, Theatre Talk, YouTube uploaded 04/08/2013; John Lahr talks with director Michael Blakemore, Conversations, The New Yorker, YouTube uploaded 23/07/2014;

Kirsty Lang on Jacques Delors, the politician and architect of the modern EU. Nancy Pearce, the founder of a charity to help people with eating disorders. Elinor Otto, the American factory worker who was one of the original 'Rosie the Riveters'. Tony Allen, one of the pioneers of the alternative comedy scene. Producer: Ed Prendeville

Matthew Bannister onMaureen Sweeney, the postmistress from the west of Ireland whose weather forecast postponed D-Day by 24 hours.Sir Tim Brighouse, the educationalist credited with transforming the performance of London’s schools.Shirley Anne Field, the actor who appeared in classic 1960s films like The Entertainer, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and Alfie.Juanita Castro, younger sister of the Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who became a CIA informer.Interviewee: Fergus Sweeney Interviewee: Harry Brighouse Interviewee: Lord Blunkett Interviewee: Brian Latell Interviewee: Nicola Gill Interviewee: Anita Harris Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:D-Day Greatest Combined Operation In World's History (1944), British Pathe News, British Pathe News YouTube channel, uploaded 13/04/2014; Maureen Sweeney interview, RTE News, 2005; Maureen (née Flavin) Sweeney interview, Blacksod Lighthouse, Facebook, uploaded 17/12/2023; Tim Brighouse talks to Estelle Morris about his 45-year career in education, Alexander Street Video, uploaded 2006; Tim Brighouse on purpose of education, RM Education, YouTube uploaded 19/12/2023; Tim Brighouse news report, BBC News; Juanita Castro press conference, ABC News, 1964; Juanita Castro interview, AP Archive, 21/07/2015; Juanita Castro speaks out, New York Times, 28/11/2016; Castro Announces Take Over Of Us Owned Property (1960), British Pathe News, YouTube, uploaded 13/04/2014; Shirley Anne Field, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 29/07/1994; Scene extract from the film The Entertainer, 1960; Scene extract from the film Saturday Night Sunday Morning, 1960;

Matthew Bannister on The dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah who overcame childhood trauma to become an acclaimed performer and writer.Laura Lean, who volunteered for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, helping to support distressed families after The Grenfell Tower fire and greeting Afghan evacuees.Stacy Marking, one of the first women directors in documentary television whose work focused on social issues.Eric Freeman, the Gloucestershire farmer who played a key role in saving the county’s rare breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs.Interviewee: Qian Zephaniah Interviewee: Neil Astley Interviewee: Dot Newman Interviewee: Adam Henson Interviewee: Clifford Freeman Interviewee: Havana MarkingProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive Used:Benjamin Zephaniah performance of Dis Poetry, BBC Radio 1, 05/06/1984; Benjamin Zephaniah, To Do Wild Me (trailer), Blood Axe Books, director: Pamela Robertson-Pearce, Uploaded 17/02/2013; Benjamin Zephaniah interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 13/06/1997; Benjamin Zephaniah, I Luv Me Mudder, Benjamin Zephaniah Orchard Enterprises, YouTube uploaded 08/11/2014; Benjamin Zephaniah - What has Stephen Lawrence Taught Us?, AKL Concepts, YouTube, Uploaded 16/02/2012; Laura Lean interview, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry; fany.org.uk; 2022; Princess Alice inspects First Aid Nursing Yoemanry Unit and donated ambulances (1940), British Pathe, British Pathe YouTube channel, uploaded 11/11/2020; Eric Freeman interviews courtesy of Vernon Harwood, Eric Freeman, Auction Memories. Farming Today, BBC Radio 4, 17/04/2017; Eric Freeman Future of Rare Breeds. On Your Farm, BBC Radio 4 03/03/2013; Gloucester Cattle. Country Matters, BBC Radio Gloucestershire 19/05/2013; Wassail. Country Matters, BBC Radio Gloucestershire 14/01/2007;

Matthew Bannister onShane MacGowan the lead singer of The Pogues who was famous for his song writing but also his abuse of drugs and alcohol. His sister joins us to discuss the roots of his talent and his excesses. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court.Lord Darling, the Labour politician who was Chancellor during the financial crash of 2008.Joan Jara, whose husband, the singer Victor Jara was killed by the Pinochet regime in Chile. She campaigned for justice on behalf of thousands whose relatives died or disappeared.Interviewee: Siobhan MacGowan Interviewee: James Fearnley Interviewee: Justice Ruth McGregor Interviewee: Alan Day Interviewee: Catherine MacLeod Interviewee: Almudena BernabeuProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Shane MacGowan interview, BBC Two, Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, BBC iPlayer, First broadcast 16/03/2021; Sandra Day O’Connor , 60 Minutes, YouTube uploaded, 01/12/2023; Sandra Day O'Connor nomination to the Supreme Court by President Reagan, CBS, 19/08/1981; Sandra Day O’Connor interview, PBS Newshour, 04/04/2013. Supreme Court Ruling Bush v Gore, BBC Newsnight, 08/12/2000; Alistair Darling interview ,10 Years After the Financial Crash with Alistair Darling, RBS Events, YouTube uploaded, 25/09/2017; Chile News report. The World at One, BBC Radio 4, 19/09/1973; Joan Jara interview, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 04/09/1988; Joan Jara interview, Weekend Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 20/09/2003; Sandra Day O'Connor Retires, BBC News, BBC Radio 4, 01/07/2005;

Matthew Bannister onHenry Kissinger, a towering figure in international diplomacy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize but was condemned by some as a war criminal. Also, Terry Venables, the colourful manager who took the England Football team to the semi-finals of Euro 96.Paul Watson, the pioneer of reality TV whose “fly on the wall” techniques caused controversy. Sir Peter Bazalgette pays tribute.And Rachel Heller the artist who was born with Down’s Syndrome and whose work was collected by fellow artists including David Hockney, Sir Peter Blake and Maggi Hambling.Producer: Ed Prendeville

Matthew Bannister onCaptain Don Walsh, the American submariner who made the first descent to the deepest place in the ocean – the Mariana Trench. His friend and fellow deep sea explorer Victor Vescovo relives the experience for us.Dame A.S. Byatt, the author best known for her Booker Prize winning novel “Possession”.Rosalynn Carter, the former First Lady of the USA.Dr Finlay Macleod, the historian from the Isle of Lewis who fought to preserve the Gaelic language. Robert Macfarlane pays tribute.Interviewee: Rebecca Morelle Interviewee: Victor Vescovo Interviewee: Neil La Bute Interviewee: Sam Leith Interviewee: Kate Andersen Brower Interviewee: Robert Macfarlane Interviewee: Agnes RennieProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Rebecca Morelle interviews Don Walsh, BBC News, 23/02/2012, They Dived 7 Miles, British Pathe News Reels, 08/02/1960; Witness History : The world's deepest dive 11km down, BBC World Service, 01/03/2021; Don Walsh interview, Short CUts 18, The Descent, BBC Radio 4, 05/03/2019;

Matthew Bannister on Peter Betts, who was the UK’s lead negotiator at international climate change summits.Audrey Salkeld, the mountaineering historian best known for her work on the ill-fated Mallory and Irvine expedition.Heather Rogers KC, the lawyer who championed freedom of speech in many high profile casesLouise Meriwether, the author and journalist whose acclaimed novel “Daddy was a Number Runner” told the story of her childhood during the depression in Harlem.Interviewee: Fiona MacGregor Interviewee: Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC Interviewee: Geoffrey Robertson KC Interviewee: Adam Salkeld Interviewee: Ed Douglas Interviewee: Cheryl HillReading extract by: Susan AbebeProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:News report following 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, BBC News, 12/19/2009; News report, The Paris Agreement, UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), BBC News, 13/12/2015; Pete Betts interview, 194: Making a Difference, Outrage + Optimism podcast, Outrage + Optimism Ltd, uploaded 30/03/2023; Spycatcher ruling, Newsnight, BBC Two, 13/10/1988; David Irving, HardTalk, BBC News, 28/04/2000; Denial - official movie promo, IMDB, uploaded 2016; Louise Meriwether Lecture, Lectures to the Black Experience in the Arts course, University of Connecticut 14/03/1972;

Matthew Bannister onKen Mattingly, the astronaut who missed flying into space on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission because he had been exposed to German measles. We have a tribute from Fred Haise who did take part in that hazardous flight.Anne Wright, who devoted her life to conserving the wild animals of India.Mary “Tiny” Gallacher who worked behind the scenes at Rangers Football Club in Glasgow for over 50 years.David Kirke, the co-founder of the Dangerous Sports Club who took part in the first modern bungee jump wearing top hat and tails and carrying a bottle of champagne.Interviewee: Fred Haise Interviewee: Belinda Wright Interviewee: Raza Kazmi Interviewee: John Gallacher Interviewee: David Mason Interviewee: Chris BakerProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesApollo 13 official movie trailer , Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures All-Access YouTube channel, uploaded 12/04/2011; Ken Mattingly interview, NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, Thomas K. Mattingly II, interviewed by Rebecca Wright, Costa Mesa, California, 06/11/2001; NASA’s Look at 50 Years of Apollo, NASA, YouTube channel uploaded 13/04/2020; Apollo 13, CBS News Coverage of Apollo 13, 17/04/1970; Apollo 13 re-entry, BBC One, Cliff Michelmore, James Burke, Geoffery Pardoe and Patrick Moore, BBC, 17/04/1970; Anne Wright interview, Witness History, The End of British Rule in India 22/07/2014; Mary Tiny Gallacher interview, Rangers Retro , Tiny's Team, Rangers Football Club Official YouTube Channel, uploaded 25/10/2023;

Matthew Bannister onBenedict Birnberg, the radical lawyer who fought the cases of the far-left Angry Brigade and the Mangrove Nine and got the murder conviction of Derek Bentley quashed.Professor Jose Harris, the historian best known for her acclaimed biography of William Beveridge.Field Marshall Muthoni Wa Kirima, the last Mau Mau fighter to lay down her arms after the rebellion against British rule in Kenya. Matthew Perry, the actor best known for playing Chandler Bing in the TV sitcom “Friends”.Interviewee: Ariadne Birnberg Interviewee: Gareth Peirce Interviewee: Dr Beth Rebisz Interviewee: Professor Stuart Jones Interviewee: Natalie JamiesonProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Ben Birnberg appearance on Newsnight, Derek Bentley news report, BBC Two, 30/07/1998; Mangrove Nine, The Reunion, BBC Radio 4, 05/09/2021; King Charles speech, State Visit to Kenya, BBC News, 01/11/2023; Mau Mau Disorders, British Pathe News, British Pathe YouTube Channel, uploaded 13/014/2013; Interview with Muthoni Wa Kirima, MauMau Chronicles, Youtube uploaded, 09/09/2023; Muthoni Wa Kirima singing, Museum of British Colonialism, uploaded 11/01/2020; Jose Harris appearance on Thinking Aloud, BBC Two, 28/10/1984; Sir William Beveridge talks to Pathe Gazette (1942), British Pathe YouTube Channel uploaded 13/04/2014; Jose Harris interview, Analysis : The Deserving and the Undeserving Poor, BBC Radio 4, 21/11/2010; Friends TV Promo, IMBD; Matthew Perry interview, Q with Tom Palmer, YouTube, uploaded 22/11/2022; Matthew Perry appearance in panel discussion on Alcoholism, NewsNight, BBC Two, 16/12/2013; Matthew Perry interview, uploaded CNN, 31/05/2013;

Matthew Bannister onSir Bobby Charlton, who is hailed as England’s greatest ever footballer.Dr. Evelyn Fox Keller, who explored the effects of gender on the study of science.Julian Bahula, the South African musician and anti- apartheid activistAnd Haydn Gwynne, the versatile actor known for her roles in Billy Elliott and The Audience on stage and The Windsors and Drop the Dead Donkey on screen. Andy Hamilton pays tribute.Producer: Ed Prendeville

Kirsty Lang onCharles ‘Chuck’ Feeney, the secret billionaire who gave most of his money away to good causes. Phyllis ‘Pippa’ Latour, the fearless secret agent who was parachuted into Nazi occupied Normandy a month before D-Day. Florence Fisher, who was adopted as a child and later led a movement to help millions of others find their birth parents. Dr Nicholas Arnold, one of the world’s leading experts on reptiles. Interviewee: Conor O'Clery Interviewee: Clare Mulley Interviewee: Lorraine Dusky Interviewee: Andie Markoe-Byrne Interviewee: Chris Arnold Interviewee: Dr Colin McCarthy Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Secret Billionaire: The Chuck Feeney Story, RTE Factual, YouTube, Atlantic Phil, Uploaded 05/06/2010; Chuck Feeney, Founding Chairman of The Atlantic Philanthropies, on Empathy, YouTube, Atlantic Phil, Uploaded 13/04/2011; Discovery with Jill Neville, BBC World Service, 01/06/1988; Adoption – The Right To Know, interview with Florence Fisher, Harvard University, 01/06/1990; Adoption records unsealed, News 8, News report, Wish-TV Indiana, YouTube uploaded 05/07/2018;

Kirsty Lang onThe talented young scientist Kirsty Smitten who did pioneering work developing a new generation of antibiotics. Singer Kat Anderson who made pop history with Motown’s first Number One hit: Please Mr Postman. The architect Beverly Willis who devoted much of her career to promoting her female peers. Tony Wade who helped built Britain’s first black owned multi-million-pound business selling hair and beauty products to Afro Caribbean women. Producer: Ed Prendeville

Matthew Bannister on the acclaimed actor Sir Michael Gambon. His son Fergus reveals his love of cars, antique firearms – and lying to journalists. The peace campaigner Pat Arrowsmith, who went to prison a number of times for direct action protests. Treleven Haysom, the stone mason who devoted his life to working, quarrying and telling the history of Purbeck stone.Dianne Feinstein, the US Senator who campaigned for women’s rights and gun control and revealed the CIA’s use of torture.Producer: Ed Prendeville

Matthew Bannister onGita Mehta, the author who set out to reveal the truth about India to the West. Her friend the theatre director Sir Richard Eyre pays tribute.Matteo Messina Denaro, the Italian mafia boss who boasted he could “fill a cemetery” with his murder victims.Irma Brenman Pick, the psychoanalyst who investigated the emotional reactions between patient and therapist.John Stevenson, who wrote some of the best loved episodes of Coronation Street. Sally Wainwright shares her memories of working with him.Interviewee: Sir Richard Eyre Interviewee: Barbie Latza Nadeau Interviewee: Daniel Pick Interviewee: Margaret Rustin Interviewee: Sally WainwrightProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Gita Mehta interview with Charlie Rose: The complexity and diversity of India, Charlie Rose website, 12/05/1997; Paperbacks: Gita Mehta interview about her book Karma Cola, BBC One, 29/04/1981; Gita Mehta documentary, Dateline Bangladesh, 18/12/2014; Gita Mehta interview, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 02/07/1990; News report: Falcone killed in bomb explosion, BBC News, 23/05/1992; News report: Anti-Mafia Judge murdered, BBC News, 19/07/1992; Matteo Messina Denaro arrested, The World Tonight, Radio 4, 16/01/2023; Ken Barlow Finds Out About Deidre’s Affair, Coronation Street YouTube channel, uploaded 21/01/2015; Hilda Ogden unveils her new "muriel " , Coronation Street, 1976; Rovers Return scene, Coronation Street, 11/09/1978; Reg’s Waterbed Floods His Apartment, Coronation Street YouTube Channel, uploaded 30 May 2017; Brass opening scene, ITV, 21/02/1983; Ken gives Raquel French Lessons , Coronation Street Facebook page, uploaded 19/08/2020;

Matthew Bannister onSir Horace Ové, the director whose films told stories of the experiences of black people in Britain.Su Gorman, who campaigned for justice for the victims of the contaminated blood scandal, after her own husband was infected with hepatitis C.Roger Whittaker, the singer best known for his hits Durham Town and The Last Farewell, and his skill at whistling.Jean Combes, the naturalist whose meticulous records of the moment when trees came into leaf in the spring cast light on the effects of climate change.Interviewee: Zak Ové Interviewee: Jan Smith Interviewee: Caroline Wheeler Interviewee: Siobhan Grogan Interviewee: Sue Stout Interviewee: Professor Tim SparksProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Horace Ové interview Galeforce Television, YouTube uploaded 04/10/2010; Horace Ové interview, Caribbean Links, BBC Radio 4, 03/02/1984; Reggae, Review, BBC Two, 26/03/1971; Horace Ové interview, Newsnight, BBC Two, 02/02/1982; Pressure: Discussion Panel, The Derek Jarman Lab, uploaded 21/05/2021; Play for Today: A Hole in Babylon, BBC One, 29/11/1979; Contaminated Blood Inquiry, Today, Radio 4, 24/09/2018; Contaminated Blood Scandal, BBC News, 17/08/2022; Roger Whittaker interview, BBC Radio 2, 01/01/2000.

Matthew Bannister on Mike Yarwood, whose impressions of famous people made him one of TV’s biggest stars in the 1970s and 80s.Ada Deer, the Native American campaigner who became head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President Clinton.Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who led the team that created Dolly the Sheep – the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. Dorothy Purdew, who left school at fourteen but went on to build up the Champneys chain of health farms and spa resorts.Interviewee: Emma Freud Interviewee: Gyles Brandreth Interviewee: Ben Wikler Interviewee: Dr Bill Ritchie Interviewee: Stephen PurdewProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Archive used: Mike Yarwood sketch as Prime Minister Ted Heath, Christmas with the Stars, BBC One, 25/12/1972; Denis Healy sketch, Look – Mike Yarwood, BBC one, 07/02/1976; Harold Wilson sketch, The Best of Mike Yarwood, BBC One, 23/04/1976; Mike Yarwood interview, On the Ropes, BBC Radio 4, 01/12/1995; Mike Yarwood impressions Nixon/Cooper/Moore, Listen – Mike Yarwood, BBC Radio 2, 08/12/1973; Emma Freud as Princess Diana, Mike Yarwood’s Royal Variety Show, Thames Production, 30/09/1986; Ada Deer interview, NPR Radio, uploaded 17/08/2023; Ada Deer interview, YouTube, uploaded 04/01/2013; Native American Experience, Ada Deer, Communications for Change, 01/01/1976; Professor Sir Ian Wilmut interview, Life Scientific, BBC Radio 4, 11/10/2016; Dolly The Sheep – BBC News, BBC Archive; Dorothy Perdue , Champneys, ITV, YouTube uploaded 04/07/2014;

Matthew Bannister onMohamed Al-Fayed, the controversial businessman who owned Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club. His son Dodi died in the car crash that killed Princess Diana.Dorothy Goodman, the educationalist who helped to found the consumer affairs magazine that became known as “Which?”.Professor Anthony Bryceson, the tropical medicine expert who was kidnapped by guerrilla forces in Laos.Denyse Plummer, the singer who overcame prejudice to be crowned Calypso Monarch in her home islands of Trinidad and TobagoInterviewee: Tom Bower Interviewee: Harriet Goodman Interviewee: Professor Sir David Warrell Interviewee: Carl 'Beaver' HendersonProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive Used: Mohamed AL Fayed, Press Interview, BBC News, 01/03/1990; Mohamed Al Fayed refused British Passport, BBC News, 06/05/1999; The death of Princess Dianna and Dodi Al Fayed, BBC Radio, 31/08/1997; Mohamed Al Fayed interview, Tabloid Tales: Mohamed Al Fayed, BBC ONE, 31/03/2004; Inquest into the death of Princess Diana, BBC News, 04/2008; Dorothy Goodman interview, Which? 60 Years of Which, Source: which.co.uk, 08/07/2022; Kitchen Gadget (1950), Pathe News, 16/10/1950 ; Denyse Plummer interview, Woman Making A Difference, TT Online, YouTube uploaded 17 /05/2020

Matthew Bannister on:Julian Haviland who was political editor at ITN and then the Times, covering key events at Westminster in the 1970s and 80s.Johaar Mosaval, the South African dancer who overcame racial prejudice to fulfil his dream of becoming a ballet star. Tricia Tyler, who edited the Nursing Times.Matyelok Gibbs, the actor and director who secured the future of London’s famous Unicorn Children’s Theatre.Interviewee: Philip Webster Interviewee: Sharon Paulson Interviewee: Janet Snell Interviewee: Ursula JonesProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Julian Haviland interview with Prime Minister Ted Heath, Associated Press, 22/01/1974; Julian Haviland interview with Margaret Thatcher, ITN Archive YouTube Channel, 04/10/1976, uploaded to YouTube 17/08/2023; Julian Haviland interview with Matt Chorley, Red Box podcast, The Political Editors: Julian Haviland, The Times, 23/08/2023; Julian Haviland Interview with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, ITN archive, 23/07/1980; Johaar Mosaval interview, University of Cape Town South Africa, Uploaded on YouTube 17/04/2020; Johaar Mosaval interview, Al Jazeera English, Uploaded on YouTube 12/03/2023; Jewel in The Crown, promo, Granada TV, 1984; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Promo, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010;

John Wilson on:The journalist and broadcaster who became synonymous with the British chat show, Sir Michael Parkinson.Italian soprano Renata Scotto, one of the biggest stars of opera in the 1960s and 70sJohn Brierly, the author of bestselling guidebooks to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routeThe teacher, anthropologist and communist Isobel Crook who lived and worked in China for most of her life.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used Isabel Crook: We belonged and this is why we stayed, Youtube uploaded 18 Jul 2021; Isabel Crook My Hundred Years CCTV NEWS, Youtube uploaded 26 Jul 2016; Kate Adie – Tiananmen Square 1989, BBC News Archive; Parkinson Theme tune, BBC 1 19 June 1971 to 10 April 1982.

Sir Michael Parkinson was a journalist, broadcaster, and arguably Britain’s greatest television chat show host. During a TV career than spanned six decades, Parky interviewed hundreds of the world's most famous stars.Sir Michael died on 16th August 2023.For Last Word, John Wilson talks to Sir Michael's son Mike about his father's life and career. Starting with his upbringing in a council house in Cudworth, near Barnsley, discussing his relationship with his parents, and later with his wife Mary.In this revealing special edition, Mike says his father was "constantly questioning himself" after joining the mainstream media and "didn't have as much self-confidence as he appears". He also tells of how despite going on to success at both Granada Television and ITV, Sir Michael harboured "an innate distrust of the establishment.Presented by John Wilson Produced by Ed Prendeville

Kirsty Lang on:Nick Kaiser, an internationally renowned British scientist who reached not just for the stars but the entire cosmos.... A gallerist who championed British contemporary art: Angela Flowers opened her first exhibition space in a Soho attic in 1970 A fixture of Scottish cultural life, the legendary broadcaster Robbie Shepherd, who presented BBC Scotland’s Dance music programme, Take the Floor, for 35 yearsThe actress, Doreen Mantle - best remembered for her role in the popular 1990s sitcom, One Foot in the GraveProducer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Robbie Shepherd, Braemar Gathering commentary, BBC Scotland; Take the Floor - Robbie Shepherd Intro, June 2015; Music of Spey–poem, BBC Scotland; Robbie Shepherd interview, BBC Scotland 2016; Wonders of the Solar System (Ep: Dead or Alive), BBCHD, 28/Mar/2010; Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 04/05/2011; One Foot in the Grave: The Futility of the Fly, BBC1, 30/10/2000; One Foot in the Grave: The Beast in the Cage, BBC1, 23/02/1992

Kirsty Lang on: Sir Michael Boyd, the former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.Jess Search, the fearless documentary producer who backed award winning but controversial films others feared to touch. Warren Ford, the tea consultant and buyer who devised the well-known Yorkshire blend. Leny Andrade, the Brazilian bossa nova and jazz singer.Producer: Ed Prendeville Archive used: Stark Talk, BBC, 02 Dec 2007; Front Row, BBC, 25 Jul 2002; Charlie Rose, charlierose.com, 29 Nov 2005; Macbeth, part of the 2006 to 2008 Histories Cycle, RSC Shakespeare Learning Zone, YouTube uploaded 8 Jun 2015; Spotlight Conversation with Jess Search | BFI London Film Festival 2021, Youtube Uploaded 17 Nov 2021; Citizenfour Official Trailer 1 (2014) - Edward Snowden Documentary HD, Youtube uploaded 10 Oct 2014; Virunga Trailer – provided by Verdant Communications; Virunga Trailer – provided by Verdant Communications; "Citizenfour" winning Best Documentary Feature, Youtube uploaded 9 March 2015; Yorkshire Tea hard water advert, YouTube uploaded 18 Jul 2007

Kirsty Lang on: Richard Barancik, the last known surviving member of a World War II allied unit - The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section - known as the Monuments Men and Women. Yvonne Littlewood MBE, the first woman to become a television producer and director in the BBC Light Entertainment unit.Edward Sexton, the Saville Row master tailor. And Dr Christian Carritt who set up her own GP practice in 1950s London. Interviewee: Robert Edsel Interviewee: Cathy Graham Interviewee: Liz McLoughlin Interviewee: Dominic Sebag-Montefiore Interviewee: William CohenProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Hitler's Stolen Art Collection (1945), British Pathe, War Archives, YouTube published 10/01/2012; EuroVision Song Contest 1962, BBC One, Introduction, 1963; Yvonne Littlewood interview, History of the BBC, 09/01/2015; Yvonne Littlewood interview, The History Project: Film, Television and Radio, historyproject.org.uk, 21/11/1991,; Yvonne Littlewood interview Tape 2, The History Project: Film, Television and Radio, historyproject.org.uk, 28/11/1991; The Val Doonican Show, BBC One, 09/06/1984; Edward Sexton – Master Tailor, Edward Sexton YouTube, uploaded 29/08/2014; Edward Sexton interview, The Rake Presents, The Rake, YouTube uploaded 04/03/2021;Edward Sexton interview, Midweek, BBC Radio 4, 26/11/2014; Edward Sexton – British Style Genius, BBC Four, repeated broadcast date 11/06/2008;

John Wilson onGeorge Alagiah, the BBC Journalist and Presenter is remembered by his colleagues Sophie Raworth and John Simpson. Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer who won worldwide fame with Nothing Compares 2 U. Ann Clwyd, the former Labour Member of Parliament who held frontbench posts in opposition, and campaigned on behalf of Welsh miners and Iraqi Kurds. Tony Bennett, the consummate crooner who sold 50 million records with hits including I Left My Heart In San Francisco. His son and manager Danny Bennett pays tribute. Trevor Francis, the former England footballer who became Britain’s first £1million player when he joined Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. Interviewee: Sophie Raworth Interviewee: John Simpson Interviewee: Danny Bennett Interviewee: Jo Stevens MP Interviewee: Linda Christmas Interviewee: Tony WoodcockProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: George Alagiah report on the World Bank, Breakfast Time, BBC One, 27/04/1989; George Alagiah report on 40th Anniversary of Ghana independence, BBC News, 22/11/1997; George Alagiah interview, BBC Radio 5 Live, 27/08/2019; Sinead O Connor interview, MasterTapes (Side A), BBC Radio 4, 15/12/2014; Sinead O’Connor interview, MasterTapes (Side B), BBC Radio 4, 16/12/2014; Ann Clwyd question in House of Commons, PMQ’s, BBC One, 24/01/08; Ann Clwyd interview at Tower Colliery Protest, BBC News Wales, 15/04/94; Ann Clwyd interview, Iraq War 10 Years On, BBC News Wales, 26/03/13; Tony Bennett interview, Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 02/07/2011; Trevor Francis interviews, BBC News, 02/10/1972; Trevor Francis goal, Nottingham Forest v Malmo, BBC Sport, 30/05/1979; Brian Clough interview, BBC News, 30/05/1979.

Matthew Bannister onLady Williams of Elvel, who, as Jane Portal, was personal secretary to Winston Churchill and the mother of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.Professor John Goodenough, the American materials chemist who won the Nobel prize for his work on developing the rechargeable lithium battery.Christine Baker, the publisher who specialised in making British children’s books available in France. Sir Michael Morpurgo pays tribute.Lord Palmer, the aristocrat who worked in the family biscuit making firm Huntley and Palmer before inheriting the 109 room Manderston House and estate in the Scottish borders.Interviewee: Allen Packwood OBE Interviewee: Marnie Chesterton Interviewee: Sir Michael Morpurgo Interviewee: Robin Baker Interviewee: Hugo PalmerProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Interviews with Lady Williams, all courtesy of the Churchill Archives Centre; An Interview with Lady Williams, HTB at Home, HTB.org, YouTube uploaded 18/04/2021; Winston Churchill speech, The Commonwealth Mourns Its King, BBC Radio, 14/04/1952; Warhorse (2011) Trailer, YouTube uploaded 04/10/2011; Huntley and Palmers Factory, Reading in the 1930s, Wessex Film and Sound Archive YouTube channel, uploaded 25/08/2011; Lord Palmer Interview, Front Row, BBC 13/02/2004; Lord Palmer interview, BBC Antiques Roadshow Series 28 Manderston, BBC One, 30/10/2005; Lord Palmer Interview, Posh people: Inside Tatler, BBC Two, 18/12/2014; Lord Palmer speech in House of Lords, Today at Parliament, BBC Radio 4, 24/03/2021;