Encyclopedia — Book · 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

Encyclopedia — Book · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Book

Encyclopedia

48 episodes

Chosen over the decades

48

Total castaways

1960s

Peak decade

8

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fielder
Charlie Drake
Charlton Heston
Craig Brown
Danny La Rue
David Hughes
Denise Robins
Derek McCulloch
Derek Oldham
Dick Richards
Doug Allan
Earl of Harewood
Edmund Hockridge
Edna O'Brien
Edward Ward
Emlyn Williams
Gerald Durrell
Hugh Laurie
Ian Botham
Jack Dee
John Drummond
Julian Herbage
Kay Cavendish
more

Lesley Manville
Lesley Manville on listening to Princess Margaret's Desert Island Discs for The Crown
Castaway · 5 February 2023Lauren Laverne
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma on wanting to be Danny Kaye after performing for President Kennedy
Castaway · 13 June 2021Lauren 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

Doug Allan on being mistaken for a seal by a walrus

Castaway · 20 July 2014Kirsty Young

22°25′S 099°35′W

Jack Dee

Jack Dee on being called thick in front of the entire school

Castaway · 11 May 2014Kirsty Young

06°33′S 039°00′W

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie on being bored in a stock car race with exploding cars

Castaway · 23 June 2013Kirsty Young

14°31′S 016°10′W

Craig Brown

Craig Brown on his delight when his daughter refused to join in a ballet recital

Castaway · 12 August 2012Kirsty Young

23°44′S 044°59′W

Mary Berry

Mary Berry on contracting polio and being isolated in a glass-sided room

Castaway · 29 July 2012Kirsty Young

Michael Johnson

23°39′S 084°15′W

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson on retiring after 1996 while still world number one

Castaway · 16 October 2011Kirsty Young

13°27′S 132°08′W

Lord Rix

Brian Rix on being told to ‘put her away, forget her and start again’

Castaway · 1 March 2009Kirsty Young

Oleg Gordievsky

02°22′S 132°33′W

Oleg Gordievsky

How a phone call to his wife made Oleg Gordievsky a double agent

Castaway · 10 February 2008Kirsty Young

15°03′S 063°04′W

Kelly Holmes

Kelly Holmes on looking in the mirror at 14 and deciding to be Olympic champion

Castaway · 1 January 2006Sue Lawley

06°30′S 174°40′W

Paul Dacre

Paul Dacre on being pinned against a wall with guns in Belfast

Castaway · 25 January 2004Sue Lawley

14°04′S 015°38′W

John Drummond

John Drummond on the ten years of misery under Hugh Weldon

Castaway · 26 June 1994Sue Lawley

04°35′S 039°06′W

Ian Botham

Ian Botham on the bouncer that made him knock his own teeth out

Castaway · 5 November 1989Sue Lawley

04°30′S 080°20′W

Edna O'Brien

Edna O'Brien on learning to cook by making suppositories in a pharmacy

Castaway · 23 August 1987Michael Parkinson

Sir Ian MacGregor

15°21′S 128°13′W

Sir Ian MacGregor

How a tank-building mission took Ian MacGregor from Glasgow to America

Castaway · 5 October 1986Michael Parkinson

00°18′S 117°49′W

Sir John Burgh

John Burgh on the jubilant crowds greeting Hitler in Vienna

Castaway · 8 December 1984Roy Plomley

16°37′S 006°22′W

Ved Mehta

Ved Mehta on the 1,300-mile journey to a school for the blind

Castaway · 25 August 1984Roy Plomley

20°38′S 174°19′W

Leo McKern

Leo McKern on receiving the Rumpole script out of the blue

Castaway · 28 April 1984Roy Plomley

03°38′S 103°25′W

Denise Robins

Denise Robins on typing her mother's manuscripts as a child

Castaway · 20 January 1973Roy Plomley

Margaret Lockwood

02°12′S 053°25′W

Margaret Lockwood

Margaret Lockwood on imitating Charlie Chaplin all the way home

Castaway · 16 September 1972Roy Plomley

11°07′S 015°02′W

Danny La Rue

Castaway · 24 October 1966Roy Plomley

18°43′S 062°51′W

Derek Oldham

How a fan told Derek Oldham he went to school with her mother

Castaway · 12 September 1966Roy Plomley

06°39′S 047°31′W

Peter Diamand

Castaway · 15 August 1966Roy Plomley

Charlton Heston

18°38′S 156°01′W

Charlton Heston

Castaway · 24 January 1966Roy Plomley

Earl of Harewood

00°42′S 167°04′W

Earl of Harewood

Earl of Harewood on reading Grove's musical dictionary up to the letter S as a POW

Castaway · 25 December 1965Roy Plomley

Sir William Coldstream

23°21′S 173°11′W

Sir William Coldstream

Castaway · 20 December 1965Roy Plomley

00°15′S 027°25′W

Julian Herbage

Castaway · 17 May 1965Roy Plomley

10°55′S 142°09′W

Dick Richards

Castaway · 8 March 1965Roy Plomley

18°13′S 143°29′W

Arthur Fielder

Castaway · 1 March 1965Roy Plomley

02°14′S 027°45′W

Arthur Fiedler

Arthur Fiedler on ringing doorbells to fund free concerts

Castaway · 1 March 1965Roy Plomley

Stratford Johns

08°13′S 135°56′W

Stratford Johns

Castaway · 7 September 1964Roy Plomley

Lord Thomson of Fleet

08°04′S 067°30′W

Lord Thomson of Fleet

Castaway · 31 August 1964Roy Plomley

01°06′S 019°27′W

Raymond Baxter

Castaway · 9 September 1963Roy Plomley

01°16′S 061°56′W

Paul Rogers

Castaway · 23 July 1962Roy Plomley

05°21′S 113°41′W

Kay Cavendish

Castaway · 5 February 1962Roy Plomley

21°08′S 083°28′W

Virgil Thomson

Castaway · 20 November 1961Roy Plomley

00°42′S 148°06′W

Edward Ward

Castaway · 28 August 1961Roy Plomley

00°30′S 043°47′W

Gerald Durrell

Castaway · 7 August 1961Roy Plomley

Michael Wilding

01°45′S 047°56′W

Michael Wilding

Castaway · 20 March 1961Roy Plomley

Edmund Hockridge

04°25′S 125°37′W

Edmund Hockridge

Castaway · 21 November 1960Roy Plomley

15°39′S 118°29′W

Pat Suzuki

Castaway · 22 August 1960Roy Plomley

02°31′S 024°41′W

Sidney James

Castaway · 4 April 1960Roy Plomley

15°02′S 142°59′W

Charlie Drake

Castaway · 22 December 1958Roy Plomley

Derek McCulloch

23°57′S 078°12′W

Derek McCulloch

Castaway · 23 June 1958Roy Plomley

01°20′S 046°25′W

David Hughes

Castaway · 21 May 1956Roy Plomley

11°43′S 025°04′W

Vanessa Lee

Castaway · 19 March 1956Roy Plomley

06°07′S 037°46′W

Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams on choosing eerie opening chords with producer Miles Mallison

Castaway · 7 June 1955Roy Plomley