Saturday Live

Alesha Dixon tells us about her career as singer, songwriter, author and Britain's Got Talent judge. Christian Donlan describes living with multiple sclerosis. Rev Andrew Rawding served as a British soldier in Coalisland, County Tyrone and has since returned there as rector. Hannah Wright recalls her childhood behind prison walls. Inheritance Tracks - John Gordon Sinclair chooses I Love You Becaus...

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein talk to stand-up comedian Arthur Smith about his new act examining his father Syd's experiences in World War Two and as a police constable. Syd fought in north Africa, was in an Italian POW camp, was forced to work in mines in Germany and ended up in Colditz, where he was liberated by the US army. Nell Gifford rejected an academic career to run away to the circus. She lov...

Alexandra Burke reveals the life events that have inspired the songs on her new album. Raynor Winn was made bankrupt and lost her home, just as her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness. They embarked on the journey of their lifetime - to walk the South West Coast Path, the 630-mile. sea-swept trail from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. She discusses the impact of this on their...

Kim Wilde joins presenters Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. She sold ten million albums, and after retiring, having a family and then a successful gardening career, has returned to the stage. She has a new album out and is about to embark on her first UK tour for 30 years. We also have Helen Tse who is a lawyer, writer and restaurateur whose book about her family story, Sweet Mandarin - also the name...

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by presenter and author Katie Piper. In 2008, she survived a horrific acid attack that left her blind in one eye and required more than 200 operations. Putting the attack behind her, she launched the Katie Piper Foundation in 2009 to aid people who'd suffered similar burns and scarring. She is set to travel the country with a new Tour: What's In My Head. Bri...

The conductor, Charles Hazlewood, believes in making music inclusive, from projects fusing five Grime MC's with the BBC Concert Orchestra to founding the world's first paraorchestra, inspired by his daughter Eliza. He presents a two-part series on BBC Four - Tones, Drones and Arpeggios: The Magic of Minimalism. Lulah Ellender has written Elisabeth's Lists. Part memoir, part family history, part ex...

Debbie McGee tells us about her time on Strictly, how she needs to keep busy and life two years after the death of her husband, Paul Daniels. Joe Cushnan's father walked out on his family, never to return or make any contact. Joe is now trying to find out about the life his father subsequently embarked on. Rosamund Thorpe is sure she has Scottish blood and knows where it came from. Peter Lovatt ak...

The actor and producer Greg Wise is brother of Clare Wise, who died of cancer in 2016. Greg has co-written a book about how he and Clare dealt with her illness - the appointments, the hair loss, the chemo, the showers... and the cat, Grably. Jess French is a zoologist, naturalist and entomologist and presents CBeebies Minibeast Adventure with Jess. Her passion for scorpions and tarantulas began wh...

Dame Evelyn Glennie tells presenters Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about her mission to find new ways to help people really listen. She blazed a trail as the world's first professional solo percussionist, having become profoundly deaf at the age of 12. When she's not touring internationally, there's little she likes better than getting out her trusty metal detector and going searching for burie...

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the actress Jenny Agutter who plays Sister Julienne in Call the Midwife. She recalls her time living in Hollywood and reveals her passion for rap. Before being called to the bar, Tony Kent was a heavyweight amateur boxer. As a criminal defence lawyer he's defended high profile clients including Anthony Joshua. He has now written his first novel -...

Jo Wood's first foray into the public eye was as a popular newspaper's "Face of 1972" aged 17. After 5 years working as a model she met Ronnie Wood and spent the next 30 years living the whirlwind rock and roll lifestyle of the Rolling Stones until her marriage came to an abrupt end. She has since reinvented herself, promoting an organic lifestyle and her passion for interiors and fashion. She joi...

Broadcaster and author Dan Snow is the history guy - from first appearing on our screens with the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, with dad Peter to numerous other documentaries including the Rise of the Royal Navy, Battlefield Britain series and a documentary about his great great grandfather, former Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Alan Fell is Head of Props at the Royal Shakespeare Co...

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein are joined by the commentator and former England Rugby hooker, Brian Moore, who talks about his career, recent health scare and passion for opera and wine. 18 year old Liv Cooke is the current Football Freestyle World Champion. She describes how sitting at home with an injury led her to the sport. The actress, Julie Hesmondhalgh, recalls her childhood in Accrington, playi...

Actor Phil Daniels joins Aasmah and Richard in the studio. Since his first big role aged 19 as the lead in cult The Who film Quadrophenia, he hasn't stopped working in film, theatre or TV including Eastenders; Chicken Run; Les Miserables; Shakespeare; and the voice in Blur's Park Life. Now actor Phil Daniels is putting his versatility to good use in a new production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stefa...

The poet Lemn Sissay, lexicographer Susie Dent and conservationist Ian Redmond join the Reverend Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. Lemn Sissay is a poet and broadcaster who has written extensively about his childhood in care. His new collection of poetry Gold from the Stone is published by Canongate Books. Susie Dent is a lexicographer who is the resident word expert in Dictionary Corner on Countdown...

Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the lyricist and musician Chris Difford who, along with Glenn Tilbrook, co-founded Squeeze - with hits such as 'Cool For Cats' and 'Up The Junction'. He talks about his life from early years in south London to playing Madison Square Garden, battling addiction and receiving two Ivor Novello Awards. Dr. Rachel Clarke describes the atmosphere on the...

Hit singer songwriter James Blunt joins Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny to talk hits, the army and acerbic tweets. Actor Abubakar Salim is the new lead in Assassin's Creed, a video game. We ask him why he wanted to act in a game, how it compares to other roles and how his martial arts study helped the role. We have explosive ordinance disposal expert turned reality TV Love Islander Camilla Thurlow. L...

Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein meet astronaut Tim Peake; writer and actor Sanjeev Kohli and cake maker Cynthia Stroud. Tim Peake is a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. He finished his 186-day Principia mission on the International Space Station for Expedition 46/47 when he landed back on earth on June 18th 2016. His new book Ask an Astronaut is published by Century. Sanjeev Kohli is a writer, acto...

The actress and Radio 2 DJ, Liza Tarbuck, joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss annuals, puzzles and why she's distracted by everything. Michael Smith became the first person to fly solo around the world in an amphibious plane, retracing the 1938 Qantas, Imperial Flying Boat Routes between Sydney, Southampton and New York. He explains why he visited 70 cinemas along the way. JP De...

Bruce Dickinson is best known as lead singer one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, Iron Maiden. But he's also a airline captain, international fencer, radio presenter, and writer, who has now written his autobiography. The man once billed a "Human air raid siren" joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir in the studio. Alby Shale's father, Christopher Shale, died of a heart attack aged...

Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher thrillers, talks to Aasmah Mir and Shaun Keaveny about his latest book The Midnight Line. Actress Alison Steadman discusses Hold the Sunset, her upcoming sitcom with John Cleese, and her children's book - Spider! Space engineer Abbie Hutty reveals what it takes to design the new Mars Rover due for the red planet in 2020. And TV archaeologist Alex Langlands exp...

Katie Melua joins Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. She talks about her childhood from Georgia to Belfast and London, her music, and she describes how the late Sir Terry Wogan championed her career and how she has released this year's official BBC Children in Need single in his honour. Saturday Live hosts Radio 4's BBC Children in Need auction, offering listeners the chance to bid for some amazing pri...

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by broadcaster and actor Reggie Yates. From Desmonds to Top of the Pops, he's been on camera nearly all of his life, but it's as a documentary filmmaker that he's now familiar, investigating everything from religion in South Africa, race and homophobia in Russia to gun crime in Chicago. John Virgo has spent the last forty years playing snooker as a p...

Goldie, producer, DJ and artist; actor Tim Bentinck and model and campaigner Mary Russell join Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles.. Born in Walsall and brought up in a series of children's homes, Goldie made his name as a graffiti artist before becoming a sought after producer and DJ. As an actor he appeared in the James Bond film the World is Not Enough and learned how to conduct an orches...

Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles are joined by chef, restaurateur and TV presenter Rick Stein whose latest culinary journey has taken him to California and Mexico. Showjumper Nick Skelton went on to win Olympic Gold after breaking his neck in a fall. After 60 years, Lin Sunderland has fulfilled her ambition to become a lighthouse keeper. Mary-Ann Ochota has been travelling the waterways of Bri...