Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Popular broadcaster with a 40+ year career in radio and television; first woman to host a daily show on Radio Two; known for a moving account of her daughter's
On the island
Eight records
My first record really relates to a very good family friend. I have known him for hundreds of years, it feels James Galway. And when Karen died, he was just bereft and used to ring me a lot.
Well, Van Morrison, of course, very much relates to Northern Ireland. And this particular song, Have I Told You Lately, it comes into your soul on many different levels. Karen, when she got married, had this as a song to have her first dance, and it became a family song.
Joe Lubin, Hal Kanter & Terry Melcher
My next record is Oh, the one and only Doris Day.
My next record takes me absolutely back to the ship going to Canada. It was called The Empress of Canada. Almost as soon as I got on board, I of course looked up what was on the movie list. And Gigi had just been released.
My next record is Frank Sinatra. And when I was working on Radio Two, if I was ever down in the dumps at all for any reason and I saw Frank Sinatra in my running order, I was thrilled because he immediately makes me feel good.
The next record is um Neil Diamond. Um I don't know about you, but there are relatively few artists at the end of the day whom I want to listen to all the way through the album and never get tired of.
Miss You NightsFavourite
It's very special, this record, by Cliff Richard. And Cliff was one of few people whom Karen allowed in in Australia when he went on concert there.
Well, my last record I feel I would love to have on a desert island. I've always loved the title of it as called The Beyondness of Things, which is an unusual title. I find it very peaceful.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:27Were you always determined to combine both a proper career with hands-on motherhood?
The Elster work ethic, um which you referred to was very strong. It was taught to me because if I, for example, had been sitting at home doing nothing, just reading a book or just idling away, my mum would have said, What are you doing? Go and do something. But it wasn't my plan. I sort of slid into everything really over the years.
Presenter asks
8:44Did the religion make its mark? Was it fire and brimstone that was preached, or was that all entirely insignificant as far as you were concerned?
A lot of it was tradition until I was about thirteen, and then the American Evangelists came to town… And it was very powerful. And I really remember the feeling of total elation to this day. And a lot of that faith remained. And it has stood me, of course, in great stead. And since Karen died, many, many people have said, Didn't it shake your faith? Didn't you really question God? Yes, of course you do. But my faith was so important to me and still is to this day.
Presenter asks
11:21How did you manage to get yourself to Canada when you were 17?
Well, when I was about nine I came home from school one day, and there was this wonderful looking, tall, white haired man standing with my mother at the door… and it turned out to be her uncle James, and he hadn't been home for forty years… And so therefore my whole interest in Canada was born at that point.
The keepsakes
The book
Leo Tolstoy
I have tried to read it endlessly during my life and I always get so far and I can never get through it because it's such a large book. If I'm going to have endless time on this island, maybe eventually I'll get to read it.
The luxury
Family is everything to me, has always been and will always be. That would be perfect for me.
Presenter asks
17:23Where do you think you get that warm, easy ability to make it seem as if a camera happens to be pointing at you and you just happen to be there?
I think people in Ireland in general just like talking, to be honest. And I'm very interested in people. It doesn't matter who they are. That sounds trite, but I genuinely am interested in people. And you're right. I do my homework religiously because the only time that I would feel nervous is if I felt I didn't have enough information to do the interview or present whatever item it happens to be.
Presenter asks
21:57How did Karen fight the cancer in the initial stages?
Well, first of all, she didn't want anybody to know… She didn't want to be seen as a victim. She didn't want that sort of pious look from people. How are you? How are you getting on? She didn't want that… but you're right, she fought a very hard seven-year battle… And Karen was always so positive. I mean, she really became the teacher in this case because we learned so much by watching her. And she gave us the strength in a way to be positive for her.
Presenter asks
26:57What made the decision for you to write the book [about Karen]?
Many reasons really. First of all, and I think this is probably the the biggest drive really is the fact that I'm the only person left alive who knows Karen's story from beginning to end, and I wanted her boys to know how hard she fought. And this in a way is my legacy to them.
“My father was a newspaper man by day, but a magician by night, which was a magical mix, literally, for a child.”
“I call it focus. That's my word for it. I focused.”
“I think people in Ireland in general just like talking, to be honest. And I'm very interested in people. It doesn't matter who they are.”
“Every time I have difficulty now with anniversaries, I think, I'm gonna go bigger and better than ever for Karen because from a parental point of view it doesn't get better at all. You just you have to learn to live around it and through it.”