Judy Garland — 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

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Most requested
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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Judy Garland — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Judy Garland

31 episodes

Chosen over the decades

31

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

7

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Allan Ahlberg
Arthur English
Baroness Trumpington
Barry Manilow
Bill Cullen
Bob Hope
Brian Greene
Dame Joan Plowright
David Jacobs
Dirk Bogarde
Dora Bryan
Freddie Flintoff
James Mason
Jane Horrocks
John Le Mesurier
June Whitfield
Liz Carr
Martha Lane Fox
Michael Ffolkes
Nana Mouskouri
Pat Barker
Peggy Mount
Peter Blake
Pinky Lilani
more

Liz Carr
Liz Carr on asking her mother every night if she would die
Castaway · 19 March 2023Lauren Laverne
Brian Greene
Brian Greene on spending Saturday afternoons multiplying 30-digit numbers
Castaway · 16 May 2021Lauren Laverne
Pinky Lilani

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

Pinky Lilani on cooking in a bad mood ruining her food

Castaway · 8 January 2017Kirsty Young

Freddie Flintoff

23°58′S 003°52′W

Freddie Flintoff

Freddie Flintoff on his 45-minute chess bluff against his granddad

Castaway · 5 July 2015Kirsty Young

11°40′S 167°11′W

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow on almost turning down his first record contract

Castaway · 27 September 2009Kirsty Young

20°09′S 023°33′W

Allan Ahlberg

How a girl in the street told Allan Ahlberg he was adopted

Castaway · 14 November 2008Kirsty Young

12°28′S 050°02′W

Jane Horrocks

Jane Horrocks on discovering her talent for impersonation

Castaway · 8 October 2006Kirsty Young

Dame Joan Plowright

10°09′S 068°18′W

Dame Joan Plowright

Joan Plowright on the night Laurence Olivier tried to be a nanny

Castaway · 27 August 2006Sue Lawley

Virginia McKenna

00°06′S 037°29′W

Virginia McKenna

Virginia McKenna on her father keeping a snake called George and two bush babies

Castaway · 26 September 2004Sue Lawley

Martha Lane Fox

15°31′S 020°04′W

Martha Lane Fox

Martha Lane Fox on her father's horror if she'd become a banker

Castaway · 4 January 2004Sue Lawley

12°17′S 128°35′W

Pat Barker

Pat Barker on planning to work in a factory to fund her writing

Castaway · 7 December 2003Sue Lawley

18°14′S 075°47′W

Bill Cullen

Bill Cullen on his grandmother marking his forehead with an ash cross

Castaway · 19 October 2003Sue Lawley

15°13′S 045°56′W

Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger on fetching his mother from pubs at age eight

Castaway · 25 July 1999Sue Lawley

06°40′S 077°09′W

Peter Blake

Peter Blake on being paid £200 for the Sgt. Pepper album cover

Castaway · 23 March 1997Sue Lawley

12°20′S 042°33′W

Peggy Mount

Peggy Mount on being told she had a character face

Castaway · 9 June 1996Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MP

07°45′S 014°28′W

Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MP

Betty Boothroyd on being the only person who believed she could win a 20,000 Tory majority

Castaway · 13 June 1993Sue Lawley

Baroness Trumpington

13°26′S 125°43′W

Baroness Trumpington

How the crown jewels could rescue Baroness Trumpington

Castaway · 25 November 1990Sue Lawley

00°30′S 091°25′W

June Whitfield

June Whitfield on corpsing with Eric Morecambe

Castaway · 29 April 1990Sue Lawley

07°35′S 005°17′W

Dora Bryan

Dora Bryan on naming herself after a box of matches

Castaway · 15 March 1987Michael Parkinson

14°07′S 049°31′W

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett on his first job as a singing waiter at 16

Castaway · 4 January 1987Michael Parkinson

Michael Ffolkes

11°13′S 124°26′W

Michael Ffolkes

Michael Ffolkes on selling his first cartoon aged ten

Castaway · 19 October 1984Roy Plomley

22°26′S 144°03′W

Sir Peter Hall

How teaching economics in the RAF taught Peter Hall to direct

Castaway · 12 November 1983Roy Plomley

06°44′S 171°05′W

Arthur English

How Arthur English went from Windmill audition to show in two hours

Castaway · 7 May 1983Roy Plomley

00°27′S 125°22′W

James Mason

James Mason on his shame at wanting to be an international star

Castaway · 26 September 1981Roy Plomley

10°50′S 096°11′W

Nana Mouskouri

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

Castaway · 24 February 1979Roy Plomley

Tennessee Williams

20°18′S 046°21′W

Tennessee Williams

How seeing Ibsen's Ghosts moved Tennessee Williams out of his seat

Castaway · 9 September 1978Roy Plomley

John Le Mesurier

19°32′S 167°46′W

John Le Mesurier

John Le Mesurier on worrying when he's got nothing to worry about

Castaway · 17 February 1973Roy Plomley

13°17′S 064°30′W

Raymond Mays

How a South African tour convinced Raymond Mays to build a British Grand Prix car

Castaway · 25 October 1969Roy Plomley

11°52′S 029°40′W

Dirk Bogarde

Dirk Bogarde on his first job cleaning the gentleman's lavatory at Kew Theatre

Castaway · 28 September 1964Roy Plomley

00°09′S 176°03′W

David Jacobs

David Jacobs on the screw points that ruined his perfect cupboard mirror

Castaway · 25 May 1964Roy Plomley

02°36′S 141°24′W

Bob Hope

Bob Hope on discovering Judy Garland on his toothpaste show

Castaway · 18 December 1961Roy Plomley