Rufus Wainwright — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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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

Rufus Wainwright — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Rufus Wainwright

9 episodes

Chosen over the decades

9

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

3

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Derren Brown
George Michael
Helen McCrory
James Corden
James Graham
Jojo Moyes
Mark Gatiss
Matthew Bourne
Sam Taylor-Wood

Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes on discovering in her twenties that her parents planned to have her adopted
Castaway · 28 December 2025Lauren Laverne
James Graham
James Graham on being asked why he wasn't wearing a coat by his therapist
Castaway · 10 March 2024Lauren 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

Helen McCrory on being told to live a bit during her drama school audition

Castaway · 28 June 2020Lauren Laverne

19°26′S 117°15′W

Derren Brown

Derren Brown on his student phase as a 'gay leisure pirate' reading Nietzsche in a cave

Castaway · 26 May 2019Lauren Laverne

14°14′S 034°21′W

James Corden

James Corden on dancing at his sister's christening

Castaway · 12 February 2012Kirsty Young

14°37′S 058°51′W

Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss on his childhood enthusiasm for wartime sing-alongs

Castaway · 23 October 2011Kirsty Young

13°30′S 155°03′W

George Michael

How friends persuaded George Michael not to come out to his parents at 19

Castaway · 30 September 2007Kirsty Young

Sam Taylor-Wood

15°16′S 012°31′W

Sam Taylor-Wood

Sam Taylor-Wood on persuading actors to cry without warning

Castaway · 16 January 2005Sue Lawley

05°30′S 099°25′W

Matthew Bourne

How copying the moves helped Matthew Bourne get into dance school

Castaway · 19 November 2004Sue Lawley