Dire Straits — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Dire Straits — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Dire Straits

27 episodes

Chosen over the decades

27

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alan Jones
Anne Fine
David Davis MP
David Gower
Dennis Taylor
Frances Edmonds
Gabby Logan
Gary Lineker
Gerry Robinson
Jean Rook
Joanne Harris
John Lloyd
Lynda La Plante
Mairi Hedderwick
Mark Johnston
Michael Lewis
Peter Schmeichel
Professor Hugh Montgomery
Professor Sue Black
Raymond Blanc
Rowan Atkinson
Sir Philip Craven
Sir Tim Berners-Lee
Susan Blackmore
more

Sir Tim Berners-Lee
Tim Berners-Lee on his mother's motorbike and a tent made from parachute material
Castaway · 16 November 2025Lauren Laverne
Gabby Logan
Gabby Logan on leading her siblings out of the Bradford fire
Castaway · 15 January 2023Lauren Laverne

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Joanne Harris on her great-grandmother's witchy bread-cutting rituals

Castaway · 7 November 2021Lauren Laverne

Peter Schmeichel

05°01′S 120°32′W

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel on not remembering Manchester United’s 1999 Champions League victory

Castaway · 31 October 2021Lauren Laverne

09°46′S 156°10′W

Mark Johnston

How an apprentice jockey told Mark Johnston he never listened to a word he said

Castaway · 21 June 2020Lauren Laverne

08°31′S 073°43′W

Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis on mistaking REM guitarist Peter Buck for a lawyer

Castaway · 12 January 2020Lauren Laverne

00°30′S 159°44′W

Tim Martin

Tim Martin on his failed attempt to become a world champion squash player

Castaway · 3 December 2017Kirsty Young

Sir Philip Craven

00°58′S 052°22′W

Sir Philip Craven

Philip Craven on seeing wheelchair basketball just two days after his accident

Castaway · 4 December 2016Kirsty Young

Professor Sue Black

16°38′S 163°41′W

Professor Sue Black

How writing a textbook on holiday helped Sue Black unwind

Castaway · 18 October 2015Kirsty Young

Mairi Hedderwick

08°22′S 035°44′W

Mairi Hedderwick

Mairi Hedderwick on crying while watching Katie Morag's TV wedding on a beach

Castaway · 2 March 2014Kirsty Young

Professor Hugh Montgomery

17°24′S 061°08′W

Professor Hugh Montgomery

Hugh Montgomery on smuggling a patient to a Rolling Stones gig

Castaway · 23 February 2014Kirsty Young

17°36′S 096°22′W

John Lloyd

John Lloyd on waking up on Christmas Eve and crying under his desk

Castaway · 18 November 2012Kirsty Young

05°11′S 049°57′W

David Davis MP

David Davis on his stepfather making him face five bullies at age six

Castaway · 16 November 2008Kirsty Young

22°55′S 089°02′W

Anne Fine

How the tabloid response to child murders inspired Anne Fine's The Tulip Touch

Castaway · 16 December 2001Sue Lawley

Susan Blackmore

11°25′S 106°03′W

Susan Blackmore

Susan Blackmore on her out-of-body experience at Oxford

Castaway · 3 May 1998Sue Lawley

09°15′S 143°21′W

Gerry Robinson

Gerry Robinson on his mother asking if he had his own office

Castaway · 2 June 1996Sue Lawley

Lynda La Plante

22°35′S 159°32′W

Lynda La Plante

Lynda La Plante on the moment she knew she'd never act again

Castaway · 23 October 1994Sue Lawley

13°52′S 082°27′W

Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc on the morning he couldn't squeeze toothpaste

Castaway · 20 September 1992Sue Lawley

10°58′S 003°41′W

Will Carling

Will Carling on being slapped by his mother after losing his temper at cricket

Castaway · 10 May 1992Sue Lawley

02°31′S 118°05′W

Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker on using household lamps to play football in the winter dark

Castaway · 30 September 1990Sue Lawley

18°44′S 145°38′W

Jean Rook

Jean Rook on waking to find three masked men in her bedroom

Castaway · 15 July 1990Sue Lawley

18°52′S 029°55′W

Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson on improvising in front of a mirror to create his first characters

Castaway · 15 May 1988Michael Parkinson

Frances Edmonds

06°49′S 063°04′W

Frances Edmonds

How a two-book deal for Phil Edmonds started his wife's writing career

Castaway · 9 August 1987Michael Parkinson

Virginia Holgate

07°06′S 019°17′W

Virginia Holgate

Virginia Holgate on her mother's ultimatum: eat or stop riding

Castaway · 10 August 1986Michael Parkinson

23°35′S 110°45′W

Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor on standing on a lemonade crate to play snooker for the first time

Castaway · 2 February 1986Michael Parkinson

21°30′S 054°18′W

David Gower

David Gower on scoring 154 against the West Indies in Jamaica

Castaway · 14 January 1984Roy Plomley

15°25′S 099°58′W

Alan Jones

Alan Jones on his lucky underpants

Castaway · 5 September 1981Roy Plomley