BBC Radio 4

Saturday Live

Society EN ↓ 817 episodes

Join Adrian Chiles for a Saturday morning full of remarkable people with extraordinary stories.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.bbc.co.uk

Author

BBC Radio 4

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.bbc.co.uk

Latest episode

Oct 17, 2026

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Episodes

Kevin Keegan and Romesh Ranganathan 06.10.2018

Former England football player and manager Kevin Keegan made his professional debut fifty years ago. He talks to Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles about how a nun was his first mentor, the way Bill Shankly changed his life and seizing opportunities off the pitch. Christel Dee is a Dr Who fan - also known as a Whovian - whose life and career has been shaped by the show. British Olympian Archer...

Bonnie Langford 29.09.2018

She can dance, she can sing, she can ice skate and act in gritty London based soap EastEnders: all round showbiz star Bonnie Langford joins us to talk about her show business career spanning 5 decades and her return to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where it all began aged 7. Aged 15 George Green was a talented footballer and signed by Everton. Money and success at such a young age led him to drug a...

Neil Oliver and Amy Macdonald in Stirling 22.09.2018

Coming live from Stirling, Coast presenter and archaeologist Neil Oliver talks about his love of the British Isles; writer, musician and journalist Doug Johnstone takes time out from Stirling's Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival. Comedian and You-Tuber Bachala Mbunzama, better known as Bash the Entertainer, talks about his journey from the Congo to Glasgow. Orkney folk musicians...

Rick Wakeman and Ray Winstone 18.09.2018

Legendary keyboard player Rick Wakeman is known for his huge contribution to prog rock with the band Yes, his own innovative compositions, his flamboyant caped stage presence and his numerous piano arrangements. Bea Priestley is a 22 year-old wrestler in the ever growing woman’s wrestling scene. Bea got back into wrestling after brain surgery when she was 18 and now tours the UK and Japan. Eric Mo...

Susan Calman, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Simon's Cat 08.09.2018

Conversation from comedian Susan Calman, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones aka The Black Farmer and about Simon's Cat. Naga Munchetty shares her Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Comedian and actress Susan Calman explains why she gave up a successful career in corporate law for stand-up, she shares her memories of Strictly Come Dancing and reveals her love of cats. Simon...

Space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock 01.09.2018

Maggie Aderin-Pocock on her love of the moon and Nigerian heritage; Ali Payne tweeted to try and find the inscribed copy of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist given to her by her late husband. She continues her search on Saturday Live. Celebrating 30 years of marriage, The Alarm's Mike and Jules Peters discuss working together and dealing with individual cancer diagnoses. Rehana Popal is the first pract...

Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, Lloyd Grossman, Atoosa Sepehr, Leye Adenle, Paula Moulton, Gary Lyness 25.08.2018

Singer songwriter Jim Kerr of Simple Minds talks about his love of walking in deserts and mountains, sustaining friendships over decades and his pop career. Atoosa Sepehr shares recipes from her cook book Persian Kitchen - authentic recipes and fabulous flavours from Iran - and talks about growing up in Iran & Italy. Nigerian crime fiction writer Leye Adenle reveals how "sunshine noir" authors...

Sir Michael Parkinson, Martin Carthy, Kiki Dee 18.08.2018

We're live from the YMCA Theatre in Scarborough with Sir Michael Parkinson, folk legend Martin Carthy, surfer Tori Gower and Jennifer Dunne on the exhibition the Ancient Seas of the Yorkshire Coast. With Inheritance Tracks from Kiki Dee. Sir Michael Parkinson talks about his early life in Yorkshire, happy memories of holidays in Scarborough, his passion for cricket and forthcoming tour - An Evenin...

Mark-Anthony Turnage and Kim Wilde 11.08.2018

Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, Kim Wilde's inheritance tracks, Bryony Gordon on staying sober and running, the Urban birder David Lindo and Thames plastic picking cyclist Dhruv Boruah join Rev Richard Coles and Suzy Klein. Mark-Anthony Turnage is one of the most admired and widely-performed composers of his generation whose operas include Anna Nicole and Coraline. He'll be talking about why he lik...

Shaun Keaveny with Rylan Clark-Neal 04.08.2018

Shaun Keaveny and Sonali Shah are joined by Rylan Clark-Neal who found fame as a contestant on the X-Factor in 2012. He subsequently won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and is now a presenter on programmes including This Morning and Big Brother's Bit on the Side. Paralympian David Smith won gold at Rio in 2016. He explains what it takes to be a Boccia champion. Mary Ellis discovered scything and has...

Stephen Mangan, Matt Cain, Orla Kiely and Dr Michelle Dickinson aka 'Nanogirl' 28.07.2018

Conversation from the actor Stephen Mangan, pop-up beach organiser Scott Barton, nanotechnologist Dr. Michelle Dickinson, and The Madonna of Bolton - Matt Cain. With Orla Kiely's Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. The actor Stephen Mangan talks about his hair, his 52 cousins and his new Channel 4 series Hang Ups! in which he plays a therapist, who has his own t...

Mark Gatiss 21.07.2018

Mark Gatiss talks about return of The League of Gentlemen, his passion for painting, and why he's drawn to the artist John Minton. Joining him are history teacher and performance poet Jaspreet Kaur, Francoise Malby-Anthony, who runs a game reserve which she set up with her late husband 'Elephant Whisperer' Laurence Anthony; and thriller and Batman writer Gregg Hurwitz. Robert Winston is Chairman o...

Robert Peston, Kate Bradbury, Chris Difford 07.07.2018

Conversation from the Journalist Robert Peston, stand up comedian Darren Harriott, teacher Vanessa Tissington, Wimbledon obsessive Ben Chatfield and Butterfly Ambassador, Kate Bradbury. With Chris Difford's Inheritance Tracks. Presented by Konnie Huq and the Rev. Richard Coles. Robert Peston talks about his late father, his family's social mobility and his passion for organising speakers in school...

Bryn Terfel, Judy Murray, Frank Gardner, Rai Rafiq, Edwina Brocklesby 30.06.2018

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles host and perform with opera star Bryn Terfel. He's appearing in the title role in Falstaff at the Royal Opera House. Edwina "IronGran" Brocklesby, tells how she took up marathons, triathlons and Iron Man racing in her 50s. She's still going strong at 75 and wants to spread the message that exercise helps physical and mental health whatever your age. BBC Securit...

Kriss Akabusi, Shaun Keaveny, Kim Appleby, Ben Okri, Steven Camden 23.06.2018

Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny with athlete and presenter Kriss Akabusi, singer Kim Appleby, writer Steven Camden, teacher Abed Ahmed and author Ben Okri. Sporting legend Kriss Akabusi still holds the British record for the 400m Hurdles. He gets philosophical about the different sides to his personality, discusses school sports participation and reflects on his career. Abed Ahmed is a teacher with a...

Alison Balsom meets Aasmah Mir and Konnie Huq 16.06.2018

With Aasmah Mir and guest presenter Konnie Huq are trumpeter Alison Balsom OBE, cycling blogger Jools Walker, self taught Fungi expert Geoff Dann and Joanne Barton who went from teenage alcoholism to becoming a doctor in A&E. Alison Balsom is having a break from travelling the world playing virtuoso trumpet in a new role as Artistic Director of the Cheltenham Music Festival; Jools Walker is a...

Richard Blackwood, Matt Lucas, Simon Doonan 09.06.2018

Guests include actor and stand up comedian Richard Blackwood, Little Britain star Matt Lucas, fashion commentator and football obsessive Simon Doonan, and American Football player Phoebe Schecter. Richard Blackwood talks about his early rise to fame and bankruptcy, before playing the donkey in Shrek the Musical and moving on to straight acting roles. Matt Lucas, began his career as a giant baby pl...

David Coulthard 02.06.2018

With Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir, David Coulthard talks about his Formula 1 career and life after racing. Listener Kate got in touch to tell us how writing helped her on the way to recovery from anorexia. JP Devlin meets song and dance man Movin' Melvin Brown; Whitney Brown explains how she went from being an academic in America to dry stone walling in Wales. Opera star Willard White shares...

John Torode 26.05.2018

With Rev. Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir, John Torode on MasterChef and how travel has inspired his cooking, Simon Mayo shares his Inheritance Tracks, Milad Shadrooh reveals how he became The Singing Dentist, psychologist Janina Scarlet on how superheroes changed her life and enabled her to help others. Mandy Coppin breaks off from organising the largest number of light aircraft to fly the River Tyn...

Benedict Allen 19.05.2018

The adventurer and explorer Benedict Allen joins Konnie Huq and the Rev. Richard Coles. He explains why he returned to Papua New Guinea to visit a community he'd befriended 30 years earlier, why he doesn't take modern technology with him, but does travel with postcards of The Queen. As Manchester United prepare to meet Chelsea in the Cup Final later today, JP Devlin is in conversation with its for...

Eliza Carthy 12.05.2018

With Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson for parents, Eliza Carthy was unlikely to do anything else, but her enthusiasm, research and skill in arranging, writing and performing along with 2 Mercury Music Prize nominations has enabled her to fly the flag for folk music in England. She'll be playing live in the studio to Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny and talking about her latest album with her mother. R...

Pam Ayres, Leee John 05.05.2018

Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles are joined by poet Pam Ayres, who talks about her passion on hedgehogs, her time in the WRAF and the everyday events that have inspired her more recent poems. Liz O'Riordan is a breast cancer surgeon, who has had breast cancer herself. She describes how this experience has changed her bedside manner and inspired her 'Jar of Joy'. JP Devlin meets Saturday Live list...

Sir Tim Rice 28.04.2018

Sir Tim Rice talks to Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles about bringing the musical Chess back to the West End. He also reflects on his career, love of cricket and performing himself. Listener Talitha MacKenzie got in touch and is appearing on the programme to talk about her love of historical costumes and dance. Robyn Hollingworth left her life in London and returned home to rural South Wales when her...

Lucy Worsley and Brian Conley 21.04.2018

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by history obsessive Dr Lucy Worsley, whose mission is to make history accessible: she writes books for adults and children, she presents TV documentaries, often dressing up as historical characters to further tell their tales, and she is also Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces. Her latest book is about Jane Austen, who, Lucy says, was one of the most i...

Andy Hamilton 14.04.2018

Presented by Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Andy Hamilton earned his comedy stripes at Cambridge, in the university's Light Entertainment Society, and has written and performed for a number of radio and television programmes from I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and Drop the Dead Donkey, to QI, to Old Harry's Game, and the award winning Outnumbered. He discusses how he manages change. Delia El-H...

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