The Clash — 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

The Clash — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

The Clash

19 episodes

Chosen over the decades

19

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Andy Kershaw
Andy McNab
Ben Elton
Boris Johnson MP
Damien Hirst
Gurinder Chadha
Harry Enfield
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Kristin Scott Thomas
Lorraine Kelly
Mark Steel
Mark Strong
Martin Freeman
Norman Cook
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
Sanjeev Bhaskar
Shirley Conran
Suggs
Tracey Emin

Norman Cook
Norman Cook on sharing violin lessons with Keir Starmer
Castaway · 28 June 2026Lauren Laverne
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly on a maternity leave phone call that ended her contract
Castaway · 2 November 2025Lauren 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

Mark Steel

Mark Steel on taking his father out of a mental home for Christmas

Castaway · 1 December 2024Lauren Laverne

16°32′S 050°37′W

Mark Strong

How three chords in a magazine led Mark Strong to start a band

Castaway · 7 March 2021Lauren Laverne

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

22°33′S 137°34′W

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton on eating out of a bin

Castaway · 29 September 2019Lauren Laverne

02°17′S 124°41′W

Martin Freeman

Martin Freeman on auditioning for the wrong role in The Office

Castaway · 31 March 2019Lauren Laverne

Gurinder Chadha

23°21′S 027°21′W

Gurinder Chadha

Gurinder Chadha on her son's 'Good for you, Mama' hug on set

Castaway · 22 November 2015Kirsty Young

17°28′S 046°38′W

Damien Hirst

How a Richard Serra sculpture gave Damien Hirst the idea for a walk-through cow

Castaway · 12 May 2013Kirsty Young

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

07°03′S 022°43′W

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on making peppermint creams aged eight

Castaway · 26 July 2009Kirsty Young

Sanjeev Bhaskar

23°03′S 101°20′W

Sanjeev Bhaskar

How a coin toss led to Sanjeev Bhaskar's big break

Castaway · 12 October 2008Kirsty Young

00°04′S 116°13′W

Andy Kershaw

Andy Kershaw on being the Radio 1 DJ who covered the Rwandan genocide

Castaway · 11 March 2007Kirsty Young

Boris Johnson MP

23°41′S 017°29′W

Boris Johnson MP

Boris Johnson on politicians being like crazed wasps in a jam jar

Castaway · 30 October 2005Sue Lawley

02°36′S 021°39′W

Andy McNab

Andy McNab on sitting under a shower for an hour

Castaway · 9 January 2005Sue Lawley

19°42′S 156°33′W

Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin on the dinner ladies who made her a cup of tea at art college

Castaway · 28 November 2004Sue Lawley

Kristin Scott Thomas

02°15′S 053°41′W

Kristin Scott Thomas

Kristin Scott Thomas on pretending to be dead in a plane crash for a film role

Castaway · 30 March 2003Sue Lawley

02°00′S 037°44′W

Suggs

Suggs on sticking a pin in a jazz encyclopedia to find his stage name

Castaway · 19 May 2002Sue Lawley

23°48′S 040°12′W

Harry Enfield

Harry Enfield on bitterly resenting his father for picking him up from parties

Castaway · 18 May 1997Sue Lawley

17°51′S 119°45′W

Ben Elton

Ben Elton on his teenage plan to leave school and sweep up backstage

Castaway · 29 September 1996Sue Lawley

19°11′S 124°02′W

Shirley Conran

Shirley Conran on walking down Tottenham Court Road with her morale shattered

Castaway · 16 July 1977Roy Plomley