Jacques Brel — 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
Browse the archive
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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

Jacques Brel — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Jacques Brel

18 episodes

Chosen over the decades

17

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alison Moyet
Arsène Wenger
Brian Cox
Camila Batmanghelidjh
Francesca Simon
Gene Wilder
Herbert Kretzmer
Julian Barnes
Kate Mosse
Leslie Caron
Les Murray
Matt Lucas
Nana Mouskouri
Nicole Farhi
Philippe Petit
Professor Peter Piot
Prue Leith

Kate Mosse
Kate Mosse on her father holding her first after a premature birth
Castaway · 25 June 2023Lauren Laverne
Leslie Caron
Leslie Caron on her grandfather crying when war broke out
Castaway · 13 February 2022Lauren 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

Arsène Wenger on relaxing by watching other managers suffer

Castaway · 22 November 2020Lauren Laverne

09°19′S 147°12′W

Brian Cox

Brian Cox on his sister presenting him from behind a coal bunker curtain

Castaway · 29 March 2020Lauren Laverne

02°11′S 071°35′W

Nicole Farhi

Nicole Farhi on sculpting a head of Thomas Gainsborough for Gainsborough House

Castaway · 10 July 2016Kirsty Young

Professor Peter Piot

10°11′S 158°43′W

Professor Peter Piot

Peter Piot on explaining to nuns that their needles spread disease

Castaway · 25 January 2015Kirsty Young

11°04′S 090°27′W

Alison Moyet

Alison Moyet on taking a hammer to her gold discs

Castaway · 18 May 2014Kirsty Young

Francesca Simon

16°56′S 041°35′W

Francesca Simon

Francesca Simon on telling her mother she'd never get married

Castaway · 6 November 2011Kirsty Young

04°49′S 096°37′W

Matt Lucas

Matt Lucas on waking up to find his hair on the pillow aged six

Castaway · 26 November 2006Kirsty Young

Camila Batmanghelidjh

14°46′S 032°46′W

Camila Batmanghelidjh

How a 13-year-old drug runner brought his younger siblings to Camila Batmanghelidjh

Castaway · 22 October 2006Kirsty Young

12°27′S 095°07′W

Philippe Petit

Philippe Petit on tearing a magazine page in a dentist's waiting room

Castaway · 10 April 2005Sue Lawley

Herbert Kretzmer

07°53′S 067°39′W

Herbert Kretzmer

Herbert Kretzmer on causing Cameron Mackintosh to faint with 'She'

Castaway · 12 October 2003Sue Lawley

03°13′S 109°51′W

Les Murray

Les Murray on digging depression out of himself with a pen

Castaway · 16 August 1998Sue Lawley

11°04′S 139°05′W

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder on making his mother laugh after her heart attack

Castaway · 2 February 1997Sue Lawley

13°16′S 132°18′W

Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes on thinking about death every day

Castaway · 28 January 1996Sue Lawley

11°50′S 100°33′W

Prue Leith

Prue Leith on catering from a bedsitter with lobsters on the dressing table

Castaway · 6 May 1990Sue Lawley

15°44′S 152°42′W

Albert & Michel Roux

How a wise old man's advice led Albert and Michel Roux to pastry

Castaway · 26 October 1986Michael Parkinson

10°50′S 096°11′W

Nana Mouskouri

Nana Mouskouri on the blow-up with her professor over jazz

Castaway · 24 February 1979Roy Plomley