Cyndi Lauper is a multi-award winning singer and songwriter. She has sold more than fifty million records, won an Emmy... more

William Boyd is the author of eighteen novels, five short story collections and numerous screenplays. His first published novel, A... more

Sir Jony Ive is a designer who is best known for his pioneering work at Apple alongside his friend and... more

Wilhelmina – Mina – Smallman is an activist who campaigns for the safety of women and girls and police reform.... more

Stephen Mangan is an award winning actor who is also a presenter and writer. His prolific career includes... more

Nemone Lethbridge is a barrister who was called to the bar in 1956. One of very few female barristers... more

Nick Cave is a singer and writer who, with his band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, has released emotionally... more

Harriet Wistrich is one of the country’s most prominent human rights lawyers. In 2016 she founded the Centre for... more

Laurie Anderson is an artist and performer who came to fame in the UK with her 1981 hit O Superman.... more

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a composer of contemporary classical music. Once called “Britain’s hippest composer”, he has been in a rock... more

Marianela Núñez is a Principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and Opera. Born in Argentina in 1982, Marianela knew she... more

Gareth Southgate OBE is the most successful England men’s football manger in the modern game. He holds the... more

Cher has been a global star for over six decades. Her career has spanned music, television and film and throughout... more

Former cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent is the first Black woman to play for England and she was part of the team... more

Mark Steel is a writer, comedian and radio presenter. His performing career began as a poet in the... more

Lauren Laverne talks to Ian Wright in an episode first broadcast in 2020.Ian Wright is a former professional footballer and... more

Steven Knight CBE is a screenwriter, producer, and director for film and television. He is best known for creating... more

Mark Knopfler OBE is one of the UK’s most successful rock musicians and composers. He co-founded the... more

Sarah Raven is one of Britain’s best known gardeners. Since her debut book, The Cutting Garden in 1996 she... more

The writer David Nicholls is best known for his 2009 novel One Day which has sold 6 million copies, been... more

Errollyn Wallen is one of the world’s most performed living composers. Her work, which includes 22 operas, orchestral, chamber... more

Rob Delaney is a comedian, writer and actor who is best known for the television series Catastrophe, which he co-wrote... more

Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a forensic ecologist who specialises in palynology – the study of pollen. Her expertise has... more

Anthony Joshua MBE is a British heavyweight boxer, Olympic gold medallist and two-time former unified world heavyweight champion. Anthony was... more

Clive Myrie is an award-winning journalist and news presenter who is one of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents. In... more

Shirine Khoury-Haq is the chief executive officer of the Co-op Group – the first female chief executive in its 180-year... more

The Australian actor Rebel Wilson became an international star with a breakthrough part in the 2011 Hollywood comedy Bridesmaids, opposite... more

The Irish writer John Boyne is best known for his 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which became... more

Dame Sarah Storey is Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian, winning 17 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. She was... more

Greg Davies is a familiar face on television as the host of Taskmaster, the BAFTA-winning game show, and he has... more

Tim Spector is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Head of the Department of Twin Research at King’s College London. ... more

Professor Alice Roberts is one of the most popular science communicators in Britain today. As the presenter of the BBC... more

Jenny Sealey has been the artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company since 1997: Graeae is a deaf and disabled-led company... more

James Graham is an award-winning dramatist whose plays include This House, Ink and Dear England starring Joseph Fiennes as the... more

The Honourable Lady Rita Rae is a lawyer and judge, and the current Rector of the University of Glasgow. Early... more

Sandy Powell won her first Academy Award for dressing Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love, and has... more

Clive Oppenheimer is a volcanologist, filmmaker and Professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge. His research has taken him... more

Cillian Murphy has received global acclaim for his performance in the title role of Christopher Nolan’s epic film Oppenheimer. He... more

Val Wilmer has photographed and interviewed many of the most significant musicians of the post-war years, including Duke Ellington, Muddy... more

Jamie Dornan is an actor who first came to the attention of television audiences in 2013 when he played serial... more

Sheku Kanneh-Mason is a cellist who came to international attention when he performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and... more

The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani is the Bishop of Chelmsford. She also sits in Parliament as a Lord... more

Graham William Nash is a musician, singer, songwriter and photographer. He had his first musical success as... more

Delia Smith CH CBE is one of Britain’s most popular and successful cookery writers and broadcasters. Her... more

Greta Gerwig is the director of the feature film Barbie - the first woman in cinematic history to have the... more

Shirley Ballas is the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC’s Saturday night entertainment show, which regularly attracts an... more

Marina Abramović is an artist renowned for performances and feats of endurance, in which her body is pushed to its... more

Dr Nicky Fox is only the second woman to hold the post of Head of Science at NASA since the... more

Pia Sinha is the Director of the Prison Reform Trust and a former prison governor. She was awarded the... more

Peter White is an award-winning broadcaster. In 2024 he will celebrate 50 years presenting Radio 4’s In Touch, the... more

Lea Salonga was just 18 when she became an international theatre star, taking a leading role in the world premiere... more

Professor Dame Lesley Regan is the Government’s first Women’s Health Ambassador for England. She is one of the main... more

Patrick Grant is a designer, clothing entrepreneur and a judge on the BBC TV programme The Great British Sewing Bee.... more

Dame Donna Langley is chairman and chief content officer for the NBC Universal Studio Group, the first British woman in... more

Greg Jackson is the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy. The company is the UK’s second largest domestic energy... more

Katherine Ryan is a Canadian comedian and writer. Her edgy and provocative routines have led to sell-out tours, comedy... more

Lucinda Russell is a Scottish racehorse trainer. Her stables in Kinross have sent out almost 900 winners, including two Grand... more

Adrian Edmondson first shot to national fame in 1982, playing the studded punk Vyvyan in the TV sitcom The Young... more

Shirley Collins first enjoyed success as one of the leading figures in the British folk revival of the 1960s. She... more

Toto Wolff is CEO and Team Principal of the Mercedes Formula 1 motor racing team. He has led the team... more

Simon Woolley, Lord Woolley of Woodford, is principal of Homerton College at Cambridge University. He is the first black man... more

Jill Scott is the second most capped England footballer ever, playing for her country 161 times. Before her retirement last... more

Peter Doig is one of Britain’s most successful living artists. His paintings have been exhibited at major galleries around the... more

Stanley Tucci is an actor, director and writer who is known for his roles in a broad range of feature... more

Kate Mosse OBE is a British novelist and broadcaster. She is the author of ten novels and short story collections,... more

Adam Kay is a writer whose memoir This is Going to Hurt; Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor won the... more

Claudia Rankine is a poet, essayist and playwright. She is best known for her book Citizen: An American Lyric... more

Jeremy Bowen is the BBC’s award-winning international editor. He has been reporting from the world’s conflict zones, including Iraq,... more

Ronnie O’Sullivan OBE is currently ranked the number one snooker player in the world, and is widely regarded as one... more

Professor Sharon Peacock is professor of public health and microbiology at Cambridge University. In March 2020 she set up... more

Simon Pegg is an actor and screenwriter who became a household name after appearing in two of Hollywood’s most successful... more

Professor Peter Hennessy is one of the UK’s leading contemporary historians. He has written acclaimed and important books about... more

Dara Ó Briain has toured the world as a stand-up comedian, and hosted the BBC’s satirical series Mock the Week... more

Liz Carr is most widely known for her role as the forensic examiner Clarissa Mullery in the long-running BBC TV... more

Amanda Blanc is the group CEO of the insurance company Aviva. She is one of a handful of women at... more

Robert Webb first reached a wide audience as the co-star of Channel 4’s longest running sitcom, the BAFTA-award winning Peep... more

In 2022 Sonia Boyce became the first Black British woman to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale exhibition. She... more

Jenny Beavan has won three Oscars for her costumes for the films Room with a View, Mad Max: Fury Road... more

David Sedaris is a writer whose humorous stories and wry takes on everyday encounters have led to 13 bestselling books... more

Corinne Le Quéré is the Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia where... more

Michael Pollan’s award-winning writing about plants, nature and food combines anthropology and philosophy with culture, health and natural history. ... more

Gabby Logan presents a range of popular BBC sports programmes and hosts high-profile sporting events including the Olympics, Premiership football... more

Lesley Manville made her debut on the West End stage as a teenager in 1972, and since then has taken... more

Sir Malcolm Walker is the chairman and co-founder of the frozen food supermarket chain Iceland. He was brought up in... more

Kirsty Young was the award-winning presenter of Desert Island Discs between 2006 and 2018, interviewing 496 castaways. Her TV work... more

Cate Blanchett is arguably the most celebrated Australian actor ever, winning two Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and... more

Edward Enninful is the editor-in-chief of British Vogue and the editorial director of Vogue in Europe.Edward was born in the... more

Baz Luhrmann is an Australian director whose debut film, Strictly Ballroom, became one of Australia’s most successful releases, and also... more

Steven Spielberg is the most successful director of his generation and the highest-grossing director of all time: his films have... more

Barry Hearn is a promoter who has been at the forefront of some of the biggest snooker, boxing and darts... more

Professor Jean Golding is an epidemiologist who is best known for founding the Children of the Nineties study - more... more

Richard E Grant was born in Swaziland, now Eswatini, one of the smallest countries in Africa, and took his first... more

Professor Angela Gallop is a forensic scientist who has helped solve some of the most notorious violent crimes in recent... more

Rick Rubin is a multiple Grammy-winning record producer who has worked with a wide range of artists including Adele, the... more

Maxine Peake is an actor and writer who first came to public attention in 1998 as Twinkle in the Victoria... more

Kevin Sinfield OBE is one of the most decorated players in the history of English rugby league. He captained Leeds... more

Dr Waheed Arian is a radiologist who set up a charity called Arian Teleheal in 2015. The charity enables... more

Jay Blades is a furniture restorer who is best known for presenting the Repair Shop on BBC One. The... more

Sue Barker is a television presenter and former professional tennis player. She presented the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage for nearly three... more

The American singer and songwriter John Legend has won two Emmys, 12 Grammys, an Oscar and a Tony award –... more

Clare Smyth is a highly acclaimed chef and is the first British woman to win the coveted three Michelin stars... more

Kate Moss came to fame in the 1990s, and her distinctive look went on to embody the era of Cool... more

Kate Ewart-Biggs is the deputy chief executive of the British Council, which aims to build connections between the UK and... more

Andrew Ramroop is a Savile Row tailor, whose international client list has included film stars and royalty.Andrew grew up in... more

Adele is a singer and songwriter who has achieved record-breaking sales and global recognition for her four albums which document... more

Bono is a singer, songwriter and the frontman of U2, one of the most recognisable and successful bands in music... more

Rita Tushingham first won international acclaim as a teenager, playing Jo in the film A Taste of Honey. Her performance... more

Frances O’Grady is the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the UK's umbrella group for unions, representing millions... more

Jon Ronson is a writer and broadcaster whose award-winning podcast and Radio 4 series Things Fell Apart investigated the stories... more

David Harewood is a British actor and presenter who found global fame playing the CIA director David Estes in the... more

Ellie Simmonds has competed at four Paralympic Games, winning five gold medals and breaking world records on the way. She... more

Bradley Walsh is a familiar face to many millions of TV viewers, as the host of quiz shows including The... more

Fiona Hill is a foreign affairs specialist who advised Presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. She... more

Lauren shares handpicked gems from the Desert Island Discs back-catalogue with Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope, including Bob Mortimer, Maya... more

Winnie Byanyima is a human rights advocate and executive director of Unaids, the joint UN Programme which was set up... more

Alan Cumming's wide-ranging career on stage includes playing Hamlet, starring opposite Daniel Radcliffe in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame and – perhaps... more

Robert Plant is a singer and songwriter who was Led Zeppelin’s frontman from the band’s inception in 1968 until it... more

Oti Mabuse is a dancer, choreographer and TV talent show judge. She has enjoyed great success on the BBC show... more

Professor Nick Webborn has chaired the British Paralympic Association since 2017. He is a world-leading expert on Paralympic sports medicine... more

Anne Tyler is a novelist and short story writer. Her 23 novels include the Accidental Tourist, Dinner at the... more

Leslie Caron is an award-winning actress and dancer who starred in some of the most memorable films of Hollywood’s golden... more

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter specialises in medical statistics. He is the Chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and... more

Lyse Doucet is the BBC’s award-winning chief international correspondent, reporting from a range of postings including in Kabul, Islamabad, Tehran... more

John Caudwell is a businessman and philanthropist who founded the mobile phone company Phones 4U in 1996. It became the... more

Deborah Levy is a writer whose novels Swimming Home and Hot Milk were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Last... more

Simon Reeve is a broadcaster and writer best known for his TV documentaries which combine travel and adventure with investigations... more

Richard Osman is a broadcaster, TV producer and writer who co-presents the quiz show Pointless on BBC One. His first... more

Dame Prue Leith is a broadcaster, writer, former restaurateur and a judge on the television show the Great British Bake... more

Jack Thorne is a writer who has enjoyed great success with his scripts for the stage, cinema and television, winning... more

Helen Macdonald is a writer and naturalist who is best known as the author of H is for Hawk which... more

Neil Gaiman is a writer whose list of titles spans many forms from novels, including American Gods, to children’s stories... more

Carl Hester is a dressage rider who has competed in six Olympic Games, winning a team gold at London 2012.... more

Dame Jo da Silva is a structural engineer and disaster relief specialist. Her humanitarian work has taken her from... more

Joanne Harris is a writer who is best known for her novel Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated feature... more

Peter Schmeichel is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the modern game. In 1999, he captained... more

Michael Sandel is a political philosopher and professor of government theory at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has... more

Deborah Meaden is a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She’s been one of the investment ‘Dragons’ in the BBC... more

The mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly has sung at the most prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Opera House,... more

Tom Ilube is an entrepreneur, known for his successful start-up companies, and a philanthropist. He recently took up the post... more

Tracey Ullman was the first woman to be offered her own television sketch show – both in Britain and America... more

Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, is a former judge who served as the first female president of the Supreme... more

Michael Holding is a cricket commentator and former West Indies bowler. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest fast... more

Nazir Afzal is a solicitor and the former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England. Among his notable cases, he brought... more

Robert Macfarlane is a writer whose books about the natural world, including The Wild Places and The Old Ways, have... more

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is an Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion heptathlete, and is one of the most successful... more

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is a veterinary surgeon who presents the television series The Supervet. He has pushed the boundaries... more

Paul Costelloe is a fashion designer who recently celebrated his 36th year showing at London Fashion Week, making him the... more

Margaret Busby is a publisher and editor who was the chair of the Booker Prize jury in 2020.She has spent... more

Richard Wilson is an actor and director who became a household name when he played the part of Victor Meldrew... more

Yo-Yo Ma is a cellist and one of the world's most high-profile classical musicians. He has performed for eight US... more

Heather Hallett, Baroness Hallett of Rye, is a former judge and a cross-bench peer. Called to the Bar in 1972,... more

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi is the chief executive of Christian Aid, leading development and humanitarian work in Africa, Asia and the... more

Alexei Sayle is a comedian and writer, who began his career just over 40 years ago at the small Comedy... more

Brian Greene is a theoretical physicist, mathematician and writer, whose area of research is string theory. His books and broadcasts... more

Billie Piper is an Olivier Award winning actor and former pop star.She was born in Swindon in September 1982, and... more

Professor Sir Simon Wessely is the first ever psychiatrist to be awarded a Regius professorship – an honour bestowed by... more

Maggie O’Farrell has written eight novels, a memoir and a children’s book. In 2020 her novel Hamnet won the Women’s... more

Baroness Casey of Blackstock is a former civil servant specialising in social welfare, who has worked under five prime ministers.... more

Mark Strong has appeared in more than 60 films, along with numerous TV dramas and plays. His career took off... more

Claire Horton is the former chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and is currently director general of the... more

Sophia Loren is the first performer to win the Best Actress Academy Award for a role in a foreign language... more

Malala Yousafzai is an activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she was 17 - becoming the youngest... more

George McGavin is an entomologist, explorer and broadcaster, who has spread the word about the importance of insects to audiences... more

Monica Galetti is a chef, restaurateur and cook book writer, who is also known as a judge on the television... more

Major Tim Peake, is an Army Air Corps officer and a European Space Agency astronaut. He was the first British... more

Samantha Power was the USA's youngest ever ambassador to the UN, during President Barack Obama’s second term, and is a... more

David Olusoga is a historian, writer and broadcaster who has presented a range of programmes including the BBC’s A House... more

Colonel Lucy Giles is an officer of the British Army’s Royal Logistic Corps and is currently President of the Army... more

Sir Cliff Richard makes a second trip to the island he first visited 60 years ago, when he had just... more

Minette Batters is the first woman to become President of the National Farmers' Union, representing 47,000 members. She was first... more

Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar is Director of the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation which funds scientific research. He is... more

Helen Oxenbury is an illustrator of children’s books whose work has featured in many very popular titles for younger readers... more

Arsène Wenger was the manager of Arsenal FC for 22 years, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the... more

Sir Keir Starmer is the leader of the Labour Party, and the leader of the opposition.Named after Keir Hardie, a... more

David Mitchell has published eight novels, two of which – number9dream and Cloud Atlas – have been shortlisted for the... more

Hilary McGrady is Director General of the National Trust.She was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1966, where her father... more

Chris Boardman is an Olympic cyclist, businessman and the Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester. Both his parents were... more

Averil Mansfield is a retired vascular surgeon and was the first female Professor of Surgery in the UK when she... more

Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE is a Trinidadian-British broadcaster, writer and politician. She became a familiar face to millions of viewers... more

Samantha Morton is an actor and director. She has appeared in films directed by Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg, and... more

Yusuf Cat Stevens is a singer-songwriter who first enjoyed success more than 50 years ago. He was born Steven... more

Bernardine Evaristo won the Booker Prize in 2019 for her novel, Girl, Woman, Other. She is Professor of Creative Writing... more

Listeners choose the music that has been special to them during the weeks of lockdown. With Jane Moss, Hugh... more

Maria Balshaw is the Director of Tate, overseeing four major art galleries: Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate Modern and Tate... more

Steve Backshall is an explorer, naturalist and broadcaster. His BAFTA-winning programmes bring viewers of every generation closer to... more

Sharon Horgan is a writer, actor and producer best known for co-writing and co-starring in the Channel 4 series Catastrophe... more

Annie Nightingale was BBC Radio 1’s first female presenter and is its longest-serving DJ, celebrating her 50th anniversary at the... more

Jens Stoltenberg is the Secretary General of NATO and a former Prime Minister of Norway. Although he was born into... more

Helen Fielding, writer and journalist, is best known for creating Bridget Jones, who first appeared in a newspaper column in... more

Helen McCrory shares the eight tracks, book and luxury she would want to take with her if cast away to... more

Racehorse trainer Mark Johnston is a lynchpin of British flat racing. In August 2018 - when 20-1 shot Poet's... more

Joe Wicks, professionally known as The Body Coach, is a fitness and nutrition coach. Since the lockdown, he has been... more

Martin Lewis is a financial journalist, campaigner and broadcaster. His high-profile campaigns on bank charges, student finance, and mental health... more

Elizabeth Anionwu is a retired nurse, campaigner and Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London. A fellow... more

Charles Hazlewood is a conductor and the founder of Paraorchestra, the world's first professional ensemble of disabled musicians. Once described... more

Sinead Burke is a disability rights activist and teacher. She has combined her love of education and style to campaign... more

Simon Armitage was appointed Poet Laureate in 2019. His poems celebrate the everyday and the ordinary with wit and... more

Brian Cox CBE is a Scottish actor whose career spans almost 60 years, from his early days sweeping the stage... more

Dame Helena Morrissey is a former City fund manager and chief executive of a major investment company, who has also... more

Daniel Radcliffe reached a global audience in the title role of the hugely successful Harry Potter films. He has also... more

Chris Riddell is an illustrator, author of children’s books and a political cartoonist. From 2015 to 2017, he was the... more

Dorothy Byrne is the head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4, and has worked in journalism for more... more

Melanie Chisholm - known as Melanie C - is a singer and songwriter who found global fame as one fifth... more

Ian Wright is a former professional footballer and now a football pundit on TV and radio. He began his career... more

Zoe Ball is a radio and television presenter. She became the first woman to present the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast... more

Sonita Alleyne is the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, the first woman to hold the post and - more significantly... more

Anne Enright won the Booker Prize for her fourth novel, The Gathering, in 2007, and was appointed the inaugural Laureate... more

Dame Sue Campbell is the Director of Women’s Football at the Football Association. The women’s game has become increasingly... more

Michael Lewis is a best-selling non-fiction writer and journalist. He initially worked for an investment bank, and his experiences of... more

Rupert Everett is an actor, writer and director whose breakthrough came in 1981 when he was cast as a gay... more

Stephen Merchant first came to fame with the TV sitcom The Office, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Ricky Gervais.... more

Heidi Thomas is a screenwriter and playwright best known for Call the Midwife. The BBC TV series, which began... more

Professor Russell Foster is head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, professor of circadian... more

Asif Kapadia is an Academy Award-winning film director, renowned for his documentaries about the musician Amy Winehouse, the Brazilian motor... more

Isabella Tree is a conservationist and writer of the award-winning book Wilding: the Return of Nature to a British Farm,... more

Stephen Graham is an actor, whose credits include key roles in films including This is England and The Irishman, and... more

Hear stories & track choices from castaways including Len Goodman, Maya Angelou and Stephen Hawking.

Kimberley Motley is an American attorney and the first foreign lawyer to practise in Afghanistan.Born in 1975 to an African-American... more

Russell T Davies is one of the U.K.’s most successful television writers. He spent his teenage years learning his... more

Wendell Pierce is an American actor best known for his role as Bunk Moreland in the television series The Wire.... more

Dame Glenys Stacey has spent 40 years in public service, including high profile work as a regulator in key areas... more

Baroness Arminka Helić is credited with persuading William Hague, the former foreign secretary, and the actor and director Angelina Jolie... more

Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known as the composer, lyricist and original star of the multi-award-winning Broadway musical, Hamilton. It won... more

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is the Chief Fire Officer for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. She is one of... more

Thom Yorke has been the front man of Radiohead, one of Britain’s most successful British bands, for 34 years. They... more

Jo Fairley is a businesswoman and writer. She co-founded the Green & Black’s chocolate company with Craig Sams, her husband,... more

Sir Tim Waterstone is the founder of the bookshop chain that bears his name. Born in May 1939, he was... more

Dame Sally Davies is the outgoing Chief Medical Officer for England. She will take up her next post as Master... more

John Cooper Clarke first achieved fame with his poetry during the punk rock era of the late 1970s. Born in... more

Marcus Wareing is a prize-winning chef, restaurateur, TV presenter and cookery book writer, who gained his first Michelin star at... more

Sue Biggs is the Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society. She’s been at the helm of the RHS... more

Jared Diamond is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, although his interests and expertise range far... more

Emily Eavis is co-organiser of the Glastonbury Festival. Together with her husband and her father, she masterminds the booking... more

Nitin Sawhney is a composer, musician and producer working in the worlds of music, film, video games, dance and theatre.... more

Professor Monica McWilliams is an academic, peace campaigner and former politician. In 1996, she was the co-founder of the Northern... more

Lubaina Himid is a Turner Prize-winning artist, curator and Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire. ... more

Derren Brown, illusionist and mentalist, chooses the eight tracks, book and luxury he want to take with him if cast... more

Pat McGrath is a renowned make-up artist. She works with the world’s top designers, photographers, editors and models, creating images... more

Louis Theroux is a television documentary maker. He has received two BAFTAs and a Royal Television Society Award for his... more

Martin Freeman is a multi-award winning actor, best known for his roles as the lovable Tim in BBC Two’s The... more

Lauren Laverne’s castaway this week is Jacqueline de Rojas, the President of techUK, the body that represents 900 companies in... more

Marlon James is a writer who won the Man Booker Prize in 2015 for A Brief History of Seven Killings,... more

Dame Esther Rantzen is best known as the presenter of the long-running TV series That’s Life, which began on BBC... more

Trevor Sorbie is known as an innovative hairdresser and is the founder of the charity, MyNewHair. Born into a family... more

Professor Margaret MacMillan is a Canadian historian, author and broadcaster. In 2018 she delivered the Reith Lectures on BBC... more

Ann Cleeves is a crime writer best known for two series of novels, both of which have been adapted for... more

Cressida Dick is Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.She was born in 1960, the youngest child of two university professors. Her... more

Bob Mortimer is a comedian best known for his work with his comedy partner Vic Reeves. For 30 years, he and... more

Wendy Cope is one of England’s most popular and widely-read contemporary poets. Wendy was born in Erith, Kent. Her father... more

James Rebanks is a shepherd and the best-selling author of The Shepherd’s Life. Born in Cumbria in 1974, he grew... more

Ruth Jones is an actor and writer. She co-created and starred in the award-winning TV comedy series Gavin and... more

The Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller is perhaps best known for We’re Here Because We’re Here, a moving and powerful... more

Alan Carr, comedian and chat show host, is known for his love of silliness, dressing up and camp daftness. His... more

As one of the Guardian’s first female foreign correspondents, Hella Pick reported on events that shaped the world in the... more

Professor Mariana Mazzucato is an economist, who focuses on value and innovation. Born in Italy, Mariana moved to America... more

Gary Barlow, musician and Take That lead singer, has written more than a dozen chart-topping songs, and has received six... more

Tom Kerridge is a chef, restaurateur and TV presenter. Tom made his name with his Buckinghamshire pub The Hand and... more

Kate Atkinson won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award for her 1995 debut novel Behind the Scenes at the... more

Tracey Thorn, musician and writer, is best known as one half of the duo Everything but the Girl. Brought up... more

Vanley Burke is a Jamaican-born photographer often described as the Godfather of Black British Photography. His body of work is... more

Jacqueline Gold is the CEO of the retail brands Ann Summers and Knickerbox. She joined the business at the... more

Venki Ramakrishnan is a Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist. He is most renowned for his research into the atomic structure of... more

Nile Rodgers is a Grammy-winning composer, musician, and producer. With his own band, Chic, he's been enticing people on to... more

Composer Thea Musgrave celebrated her 90th birthday this year, an event marked by celebrations and concerts around the world, including... more

Tom Daley started diving aged seven and by the age of 14 was representing Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics... more

Henry Marsh is a neurosurgeon, who pioneered a technique of operating on the brain while the patient is under local... more

Danielle de Niese is a soprano who has taken starring roles with leading opera companies around the world. She... more

Pam Ayres is a poet and broadcaster.Pam was born in the Vale of the White Horse and retains her characteristic... more

Marianne Elliott is the first woman to win two Tony awards for theatre direction: the first for War Horse and... more

Baroness Newlove is the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales. She became a campaigner after her husband, Garry Newlove, was... more

Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slams and a total of 20 Wimbledon titles and is regarded as one of... more

Philip Treacy is one of the most prolific and acclaimed hat designers working in the UK. His work was very... more

Guy Singh-Watson is an organic farmer and founder of Riverford, a major British supplier of organic vegetables through a box... more

Martina Cole is a British crime writer, known to her fans as the Queen of Crime. Martina has written 24... more

John Walker Motson, OBE, also known as Motty, has been commentating on football since 1971. He covered more than 2000... more

Professor Carlos Frenk is a cosmologist and one of the originators of the Cold Dark Matter theory for the formation... more

Gillian Reynolds spent 42 years as the radio critic of the Daily Telegraph before she was headhunted by the Sunday... more

David Baddiel is a comedian and writer. Known both for his solo work and for his comedic collaborations with, among... more

Dr. Sue Black is a computer scientist, academic and social entrepreneur. She was instrumental in saving Bletchley Park, the home... more

Sir Peter Lampl is a philanthropist who has given over £50 million and worked for 20 years to combat educational... more

Abi Morgan is a screenwriter and playwright best known for TV dramas The Hour, River and The Split and the... more

Anne-Marie Duff is a stage and screen actor.Born in 1970 to Irish parents, she grew up in a working class... more

David Byrne was a founding member of the band Talking Heads. Born in Dumbarton, Scotland, he emigrated first to Canada... more

John Gray is a philosopher. His academic career included professorships at Oxford University and the London School of Economics, and... more

Matt Smith is best known as the eleventh Timelord in the BBC One series, Doctor Who. At 26, he became... more

Dame Minouche Shafik is the director of the London School of Economics and a former Deputy Governor of the Bank... more

Chi-chi Nwanoku is a double bass player and founder of Europe's first professional majority black and minority ethnic orchestra, Chineke!.Chi-chi... more

Jack Whitehall, stand-up comedian, actor, sit-com writer and producer is Kirsty Young's castaway.He co-wrote and starred in the sitcoms Fresh... more

Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, who became the youngest ever world champion at the age of 22. He... more