Tom Lehrer — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

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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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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

Tom Lehrer — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Tom Lehrer

25 episodes

Chosen over the decades

25

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Adam Kay
Alice Thomas Ellis
Andy Hamilton
Anthony Howard
Bill Bryson
Brian Aldiss
Daniel Radcliffe
Dr Jacob Bronowski
Erich Segal
Frances Wood
Margaret Rhodes
Nemone Lethbridge
Norman Parkinson
Norma Percy
Patrick Stewart
Prof David Phillips
Professor Peter Hennessy
Roger Moore
Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP
Sigrid Rausing
Sir Arthur Bliss
Sir John Sulston
Sir Robert Mark
Tariq Ali

Norma Percy
Norma Percy on the gin and tonic her professor gave nervous students
Castaway · 22 June 2025Lauren Laverne
Nemone Lethbridge
Nemone Lethbridge on visiting the Führerbunker with her father
Castaway · 2 February 2025Lauren Laverne
Adam Kay

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

Adam Kay on being told he was gay by a classmate running a pornography library

Castaway · 18 June 2023Lauren Laverne

Professor Peter Hennessy

18°00′S 131°51′W

Professor Peter Hennessy

Peter Hennessy on weeping as the Queen’s coffin passed the cenotaph

Castaway · 7 May 2023Lauren Laverne

Daniel Radcliffe

08°24′S 057°27′W

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe on asking colleagues to warn him if he got cocky

Castaway · 15 March 2020Lauren Laverne

01°15′S 008°35′W

Sigrid Rausing

How her brother's addiction led Sigrid Rausing to check into rehab

Castaway · 24 January 2016Kirsty Young

Margaret Rhodes

07°59′S 153°55′W

Margaret Rhodes

Margaret Rhodes on firing a magazine at a low-flying German plane

Castaway · 3 June 2012Kirsty Young

Prof David Phillips

11°16′S 151°25′W

Prof David Phillips

David Phillips on being interrogated by the KGB for five hours

Castaway · 1 May 2011Kirsty Young

14°41′S 043°20′W

Frances Wood

Frances Wood on hanging upside down on a trapeze in the garden

Castaway · 5 December 2010Kirsty Young

17°20′S 106°09′W

Tariq Ali

Tariq Ali on organising a cleaners' strike in the Himalayas as a teenager

Castaway · 16 March 2008Kirsty Young

23°25′S 035°41′W

Brian Aldiss

Brian Aldiss on his mother's pretence that her stillborn baby had lived

Castaway · 28 January 2007Kirsty Young

Patrick Stewart

23°47′S 104°15′W

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart on being cast as Shylock by his teacher at age 12

Castaway · 17 April 2005Sue Lawley

Sir John Sulston

23°51′S 153°03′W

Sir John Sulston

John Sulston on holding the human genome on a CD-ROM

Castaway · 13 May 2001Sue Lawley

23°28′S 155°52′W

Anthony Howard

Anthony Howard on how friendship with Charles Straitshey changed his politics

Castaway · 30 May 1999Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP

08°07′S 157°47′W

Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP

Mo Mowlam on waking up goofy in three different beds

Castaway · 21 March 1999Sue Lawley

09°56′S 104°01′W

Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson on waking up in New Hampshire and realising his return to America was a catastrophe

Castaway · 31 January 1999Sue Lawley

Alice Thomas Ellis

20°27′S 132°27′W

Alice Thomas Ellis

Alice Thomas Ellis on adopting a pen name to roar anonymously

Castaway · 29 March 1998Sue Lawley

14°46′S 014°48′W

Andy Hamilton

How a backstage chat after an Edinburgh show won Andy Hamilton his BBC break

Castaway · 27 April 1997Sue Lawley

17°59′S 138°13′W

Brian Aldiss

Brian Aldiss on competing to tell stories after lights out in the dormitory

Castaway · 17 April 1982Roy Plomley

06°47′S 096°04′W

Roger Moore

Roger Moore on being good at looking as though he was listening at school

Castaway · 25 July 1981Roy Plomley

23°10′S 094°24′W

Erich Segal

Erich Segal on being the fortieth writer on Yellow Submarine

Castaway · 19 April 1980Roy Plomley

Norman Parkinson

19°55′S 153°22′W

Norman Parkinson

Norman Parkinson on moving to a desert island to be well rehearsed

Castaway · 30 December 1978Roy Plomley

Sir Robert Mark

03°30′S 058°59′W

Sir Robert Mark

Robert Mark on his four months on night duty in the slums of Manchester

Castaway · 28 February 1976Roy Plomley

Dr Jacob Bronowski

04°24′S 046°38′W

Dr Jacob Bronowski

Jacob Bronowski on telling the BBC he didn't mean to make a science series like Kenneth Clark's

Castaway · 5 January 1974Roy Plomley

Sir Arthur Bliss

08°09′S 000°37′W

Sir Arthur Bliss

Arthur Bliss on calling his wife to hammer a nail

Castaway · 29 July 1972Roy Plomley