Yves Montand

desert is.landest. 1942

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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

Yves Montand — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

9 episodes

Chosen over the decades

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Betsy Blair
Colin Wilson
Elly Ameling
Gayatri Devi
Julian Critchley
Leslie Caron
Lord Healey
Marie Collier
Topol

Leslie Caron
Leslie Caron on her grandfather crying when war broke out
Castaway · 13 February 2022Lauren Laverne
Lord Healey
Denis Healey on why he now regrets not becoming Prime Minister
Castaway · 14 June 2009Kirsty 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

Betsy Blair

Betsy Blair on kissing Gene Kelly goodbye a year before he died

Castaway · 12 June 2005Sue Lawley

Julian Critchley

11°13′S 150°45′W

Julian Critchley

Julian Critchley on being summoned by the chief whip for modelling a suit

Castaway · 12 April 1987Michael Parkinson

Elly Ameling

16°39′S 163°24′W

Elly Ameling

Elly Ameling on Pierre Bernac’s cocker spaniel face

Castaway · 9 February 1985Roy Plomley

Gayatri Devi

04°53′S 104°15′W

Gayatri Devi

Gayatri Devi on writing to Nehru to stop the demolition of Jaipur's walls

Castaway · 4 August 1984Roy Plomley

Topol

18°48′S 179°35′W

Topol

How Topol won the lead in Fiddler on the Roof with a 50-word English vocabulary

Castaway · 15 October 1983Roy Plomley

Colin Wilson

22°37′S 028°05′W

Colin Wilson

Colin Wilson on sleeping out on Hampstead Heath while writing The Outsider

Castaway · 21 October 1978Roy Plomley

Marie Collier

03°21′S 065°46′W

Marie Collier

Marie Collier on replacing Maria Callas in Tosca at short notice

Castaway · 21 February 1966Roy Plomley