Last Word

Matthew Bannister on The actor Prunella Scales, best known for playing Sybil in the TV comedy Fawlty Towers. Her son Samuel West reflects on her long career and happy marriage to fellow actor Timothy West. Gillian Tindall, the writer who pioneered the technique of exploring history through the portal of a particular house or area. Roger Smith, who co-founded and ran the Great Outdoors Challenge, e...

In this special edition of Last Word, Matthew Bannister talks to the actor Samuel West about his mother Prunella Scales. Prunella died on the 27th October, aged 93. Known for her work on stage and screen over many decades – Prunella was particularly renowned for her role as Sybil on Fawlty Towers. In addition to countless other roles, she appeared as Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s A Question...

Matthew Bannister on The influential Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, who was detained for his pro-democracy campaigns, but went on to be the country’s Prime Minister. Bill Colley, who designed and built traditional wooden racing boats. Baroness Rosalind Howells of St Davids, who campaigned for racial equality and supported the family of Stephen Lawrence after his murder. And Sister Marion Irvine,...

Matthew Bannister on Peter Gurney, the George Medal winning bomb disposal expert who regularly risked his life to defuse explosive devices, including the mortars that were fired at 10 Downing Street by the IRA in 1991. Diane Keaton, the actor best known for her collaboration with Woody Allen in Annie Hall and Manhattan. Peter Hall, the pioneering English winemaker from Sussex who turned his Breaky...

Matthew Bannister on Patrick Bradley, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. Dame Jilly Cooper, the best-selling author of the racy “Rutshire Chronicles”. Sara Jane Moore, the political extremist who tried to assassinate US President Gerald Ford. Dame Patricia Routledge, the actor best known for her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket in the TV comedy Keeping Up A...

Matthew Bannister on Dame Jane Goodall, the primatologist and environmental campaigner who changed our understanding of animal behaviour. Chris Packham pays tribute. Tony Harrison, the Yorkshire born poet who took his writing to new audiences through theatre and TV. Michael Rosen assesses his work. Lord Menzies Campbell, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats. Danny Thompson, the upright bass...

Matthew Bannister on Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect who designed the international terminal at London’s Waterloo Station and the Eden Project. John Stapleton, the TV presenter who fronted Watchdog with his wife and ITV’s breakfast and daytime shows. His friend Greg Dyke pays tribute. Mary Elizabeth Dodd, the physiotherapist who pioneered new treatments for cystic fibrosis. And the glamorous...

Matthew Bannister on: Robert Redford, the film star who believed his striking good looks could be a curse as well as a blessing. Barbara Harvey, the mediaeval historian who revealed fascinating details of the lives of the monks of Westminster Abbey. Rosa Roisinblit, one of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo who finally tracked down the grandson who had been abducted at birth and given u...

John Wilson on: The Duchess of Kent, who stepped back from royal duties to teach music in primary schools. Giorgio Armani whose suit designs help define the look of the 1980s and beyond. Valerie Pearlman who made legal history by being the first judge in the UK finish a trial via fax machine and video link from her hospital bed. Rick Davies, who sold millions of records in the 70s and 80 as one of...

John Wilson on Joe Bugner, the heavyweight boxer who fought the titans of the sport from Henry Cooper, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier. Ann McManus, the writer for Coronation Street who went on to be one of the founders of Shed Productions that created hit drama series such as Bad Girls, Footballer Wives and Waterloo Road. Angela Mortimer Barrett, the multiply Grand Slam winning tennis player – winne...

John Wilson on: Broadcaster David Richardson who was for over 60 years a leading voice in the farming community Doris Lockhart Saatchi, the Art collector who along with her former husband Charles Saatchi transformed the UK art scene in the 80s and 90s Dame Annette Brooke who for 14 years was the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole Byron Rogers, the biographer and journalist who soug...

John Wilson on: Actor Terence Stamp, the Oscar nominated 60s screen icon who went onto play many villains in his later film career Baroness Stephanie Shirley, the pioneering computer scientist and founder of her own software company Kay Dunbar who founded the Ways with Words literary festival which ran in Devon for 30 years Eric Midwinter was one of the three co-founders of u3a to encourage contin...

Matthew Bannister on Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. Biddy Baxter, the editor who left an indelible stamp on the children’s TV show Blue Peter. Sarah Greene pays tribute. Razia Jan, the Afghan/American who founded a school for girls in Afghanistan after 9/11. Iris Williams, the Welsh born singer whose career took off after an appearance on Radio 2. Producer...

Matthew Bannister on Dame Stella Rimington, the first woman to be Director General of MI5, who made the service more open and accountable. Sylvia Young, whose drama school turned out countless stars of stage, screen and music. Sir Jamie McGrigor, the Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands, who introduced a bill to protect tartan. And Joan Anderson the former m...

Matthew Bannister on Dame Cleo Laine, whose glorious voice was equally at home singing jazz, pop and classical music. Her daughter Jacqui Dankworth shares her memories. Hulk Hogan, who spearheaded the transformation of American wrestling from niche activity to global phenomenon. Professor Margaret Boden, whose expertise in cognitive science helped to shape the future of artificial intelligence. To...

Matthew Bannister on Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath lead singer known for his outrageous antics, many while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Jacqui Browne, the Thalidomide survivor who campaigned for the rights of disabled people in Ireland. Professor Douglas Chamberlain, the cardiologist who pioneered the use of defibrillators by ambulance crews, saving many lives. Connie Francis, the...

Matthew Bannister on Lord Blair the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Jennie Street who helped to rehabilitate people on her suburban farm. Dr Anna Ornstein, a psychoanalyst and survivor of the Holocaust. Muhammudu Buhari, the former President of Nigeria. Interviewee: Sean O’Neill Interviewee: Anita Ollerenshaw Interviewee: Dr Sharone Ornstein Interviewee: Mayeni Jones Producer: Ed P...

Matthew Bannister on Lord Tebbit, who as Norman Tebbit was a member of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet, introducing trade union reform and privatisation. Daphne Boden, the harpist who played for the Queen and taught for more than fifty years at the Royal College of Music. James Leprino who built a multi-billion-dollar business by supplying cheese to pizza chains. And the former Astronomer Royal, Sir F...

Matthew Bannister on Courtney Griffiths, one of the first black lawyers to become a Queen’s Counsel. Sara Venn, who turned unloved spaces in Bristol into community gardens growing food for low-income families. Nina Kuscik, the American marathon runner who broke down barriers to women participating in long distance running. Sergeant Mohammed Hussain, one of the last surviving Muslim veterans of the...

Matthew Bannister on The TV director Michael Lachmann who made some of the most acclaimed documentaries about science. Professor Brian Cox and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock pays tribute. Pik-sen Lim who became one of the most recognisable East Asian actors on British TV. Leon Krier, the master planner behind King Charles’s controversial Poundbury development. David “Syd” Lawrence, the fast bowler who...

John Wilson on Sir Godfrey “Geoff” Palmer, the scientist whose discovery of a new brewing method revolutionized the industry and saved them millions of pounds Barbara Holdridge, the entrepreneur who co-founded a new record label that paved the way for the audiobook industry Kim Woodburn, the reality TV Star who made gained popular recognition through the TV show How Clean Is Your House? Sly Stone...

Kirsty Lang on Brian Wilson, the driving force behind The Beach Boys who were one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. Fredrick Forsyth, the writer and former Mi6 agent who books included The Day of the Jackal and The Fourth Protocol. Uriah Rennie who made history as the Premier League’s first black referee. And the author Edmund White whose semi-autobiographical books A Boys Own Life and Th...

Kirsty Lang on Wildlife conservationist Valmik Thapar who spent five decades trying to protect India’s tigers Nancy Blaik, the driving force behind the creation of Scotland’s first children’s hospice Norma Meras Swenson, the co-author of the influential book ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’ Doctor Stuart Farrimond who became a popular science writer after being diagnosed with a brain tumour Producer: Ed Pr...

Matthew Bannister on Alan Yentob, the BBC’s only Creative Director, who commissioned many successful TV programmes, was known as an impresario of talent and also presented Imagine. Richard Garwin, the American physicist who developed the Hydrogen bomb, but then devoted his life to nuclear disarmament. Dr. Joy Shaverien, the psychoanalyst who identified “boarding school syndrome” suffered by some w...

Matthew Bannister on Hannah Deacon who ran a successful campaign to allow her son – and many others – to be treated with cannabis after he was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. Andrew Norfolk, the journalist who exposed the Rotherham grooming gang scandal. Dame June Clark, the President of the Royal College of Nursing who argued for more education to increase the skills of the nursing profes...