Shirley Bassey — 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
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

Shirley Bassey — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Shirley Bassey

13 episodes

Chosen over the decades

12

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alan Carr
Anton Mosimann
Bishop John Sentamu
Christina Noble
Dickie Bird
Eve Stewart
Fred Trueman
Grace Bumbry
Pauline Quirke
Ron Todd
Sir Terence Rattigan
Tommy Reilly

Alan Carr
Alan Carr on hearing his own camp voice for the first time, aged 12
Castaway · 23 December 2018Lauren Laverne
Eve Stewart
How Eve Stewart's father went to a party and never came back
Castaway · 4 August 2013Kirsty Young

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

Bishop John Sentamu

John Sentamu on reciting Psalms as guards went for lunch

Castaway · 22 June 2003Sue Lawley

Christina Noble

11°41′S 115°36′W

Christina Noble

Christina Noble on a vivid dream of children running through smoke

Castaway · 15 June 1997Sue Lawley

05°37′S 178°53′W

Pauline Quirke

Pauline Quirke on having a plaster cast made for The Sculptress

Castaway · 5 May 1996Sue Lawley

18°40′S 013°14′W

Dickie Bird

How Yorkshire players convinced Dickie Bird to become an umpire

Castaway · 7 April 1996Sue Lawley

15°37′S 073°10′W

Ron Todd

How a priest's advice to pray instead of act made Ron Todd lose his faith

Castaway · 30 June 1991Sue Lawley

20°53′S 029°11′W

Anton Mosimann

Anton Mosimann on the banquet where all 500 puff pastry soups collapsed

Castaway · 5 June 1988Michael Parkinson

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°21′S 110°12′W

Fred Trueman

Fred Trueman on thinking his Test call-up was a hoax

Castaway · 19 August 1978Roy Plomley

08°41′S 081°00′W

Grace Bumbry

Grace Bumbry on winning a high school singing competition in Saint Louis

Castaway · 3 December 1977Roy Plomley

Sir Terence Rattigan

12°10′S 169°34′W

Sir Terence Rattigan

How a theatrical party got Terence Rattigan sent down from Oxford

Castaway · 12 January 1974Roy Plomley

15°16′S 132°16′W

Tommy Reilly

Tommy Reilly on getting harmonicas from a German welfare officer in a prison camp

Castaway · 2 October 1961Roy Plomley