Saturday Live

Roy Hudd is a national treasure. He's been entertaining, acting and generally having fun on TV, the stage and wireless for many decades. Next month he'll be 81 years old and he's still working. Imelda May grew up in the Liberties, once the toughest slum in Dublin, where she learned the art of song and acquired a noble quiff, which made her the Rockabilly queen of the Dublin scene. Her breakthrough...

Comedian Milton Jones; musician Sam Sweeney; opera impresario Michael Volpe and curator Catherine Howell join Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton. Milton Jones is a stand-up comedian, known by many as the king of the one-liners. A regular panellist on BBC Two's Mock the Week, he has a penchant for wild hair and colourful shirts and a gentle, self-deprecating wit. Later this year he embarks on a new tour...

The actor and TV personality Christopher Biggins joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Best known for his performances as Lukewarm in the BBC series of Porridge, Emperor Nero in I Claudius, and as Rev. Ossie Whitworth the wicked vicar in Poldark. He's one of the Great Dames of British Pantomime and was crowned 'King of the Jungle'. He talks about his career and latest work on the comedy alb...

Irish singing superstar Daniel O'Donnell made history in 2016 by becoming the first recording artist in the history of the UK album chart to have at least one new album every year since 1988 - an unprecedented 29-year run - surpassing the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and U2. He talks about growing up in Donegal and how he got into the music business. Samantha Renke is an actor with a disability...

The actress Jodie Prenger joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. Best known for winning the role of Nancy in the West End production of Oliver! She is now receiving rave reviews for her performance as Shirley Valentine in the 30th anniversary UK tour. JP Devlin meets Jess Turtle, who recalls how her own family history and upbringing in Cardiff has inspired the Museum of Homelessness. "The Fi...

Jimmy Osmond is only 53 - but has 50 years of showbiz under his belt. How does he do it? Maria MacLennan trained as jewellery designer but found her way, unexpectedly, into a very different (if related) field. She's now developed a career as a forensic jeweller, sent for to reunite owners with jewellery, but also, in the event of disasters like a plane crash, or a building collapse, to reunite own...

The actor Paul Nicholas talks about his recent visit to The Real Marigold Hotel and his early career in the first rock musical Hair. 'Punk potter' Keith Brymer Jones describes how he made his first item, a pottery owl, when he was 11 years old, but reveals that he actually started out as a ballet dancer. Saturday Live listener and retired nurse, Maggie Jones, has an obsession for photography and ....

Lee Mack star of the long running BBC sit com Not Going Out, former stable boy and keen darts players joins the Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. Life-long petrolhead Bron Burrell on why she is racing from London to Portugal in an 1970s Austin Maxi. Saturday Live listener Philippa O'Sullivan who is preparing to take part in the only round the world yacht race for amateurs. Former Commonwealth cham...

Rory Bremner joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles, with his impressions of Trump and JP, among many others. He explains what he enjoys about the wordplay of translating operas and, as Scotland play today in the Six Nations, he recalls how his love of the game led to early impressions of sports commentators. As one fifth of The Saturdays Una Healy had success with 13 top ten hits. The singer...

Marti Pellow first hit the charts with Wet Wet Wet's Wishing I was Lucky in 1987. He's gone on to have a successful musical theatre career. With the forthcoming release of his solo album Mysterious, Marti joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir and explains why soul and jazz have always inspired him. When Kerri Cameron lost her job working with horses- she unexpectedly found a new career as a motor...

Una Stubbs discusses her love of painting and her role playing Sherlock's landlady Mrs Hudson Dinosaur expert and primatologist Ben Garrod on how his love of nature started. Bill Griffin founder of the Crowdwish website explains how he helps people fulfil their wishes and tries to set them on the path to happiness Listener and folk singer Ian W. Brown on the perils of sharing your name with someon...

Amanda Redman, best known for her role as DSI Sandra Pullman in BBC1's New Tricks, joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to discuss filming in Sri Lanka for a new TV medical drama, her early years in hospital following a scalding accident and why she set up The Artists' Theatre School. Andrew Martin has had a passion for night trains since childhood. He talks about his recent experiences recreati...

Martin Kemp didn't realise when he was shifting kit for big brother Gary's band Spandau Ballet, that his future lay not back stage but ON stage. Invited to play bass in the band which conquered the world, with wedges and pantaloons and bandanas, he met and married backing singer Shirley from Wham, morphed into an actor in the Krays and in Hollywood, did a decade playing everyone's favourite wicked...

Mark Watson is an award winning comedian who has written six novels. He explains why in spite of his success, his dream job is still to be a football commentator. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes make up The Shires, a British Country band. They discuss playing the Grand Ole Opry and how they both started out in choirs - one of them regularly singing for the Queen at Windsor Castle. Toby Capwell has lo...

Actor and presenter Martin Clunes, best known for his roles in Men Behaving Badly and Doc Martin, joins Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir to discuss discovering the islands of Australia, his love of animals and life on his farm. Gemma Todd is a mobile librarian who has just published her first novel, as GX Todd. She talks about getting her HGV licence and her love of Lego. JP Devlin meets listener...

Former Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, joins Richard and Aasmah to discuss his surprise success on Strictly Come Dancing, passion for football, how he coped in public life with interiorised stammering and his life post politics "Gangnam style". 27 year old magician Troy has performed both street magic and for high profile audiences from Harry Styles to HRH Prince Harry. He describes how he overcame a...

Comedian Lucy Porter joins Aasmah Mir and Kate Silverton to discuss why she originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of Kate Adie, the pleasures and perils of setting up a Mums and Babies comedy club and the influential women in the early days of Hollywood slapstick films. Motivational writer and speaker Chris Barez-Brown will teach us how to switch off our inner auto pilots and become more cr...

Arabella Weir, star of Two Doors Down, talks to Aasmah Mir and Suzy Klein about what neighbours mean to her, festive celebrations and how she got into comedy. Mark Forsyth explains why he decided to explore the stories behind Christmas traditions- including why we have decorated trees in our house and the real Good King Wenceslas. Writer and musician Rhodri Marsden shared a picture of where he'd b...

Raymond Blanc grew up in a self sufficient household in France, and after a few false starts in other professions, became a self taught Michelin star winning chef, and restaurant entrepreneur. Kassia St Clair loves colour. After studying historical dress she wanted to understand the colours referred to. Her interest led to a column in Elle Decoration and finally a book. She joins us to talk about...

Crime writer Anthony Horowitz joins Richard and Aasmah in the studio to discuss his love of Tin Tin, Victorian fairgrounds and why villages are so well suited to murder mysteries. After his return from the International Space Station Major Tim Peake reflects on what home really means to him and and tells us why it's always good to wiggle your toes on a spacewalk. Comedian Dave Gorman who has flown...

Star of Birds of a Feather and Strictly Come Dancing, Lesley Joseph, joins Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles live from the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House to talk about pantomime and her role as The Wicked Queen. Trevor Jones reveals the secrets of The Poison Garden at Alnwick. Paul Harris has been performing in pantomimes for more than 50 years. He recalls how he learnt the gags on the job, an...

Aled Jones will forever be associated with the song he made a hit - Walking in the Air. Now he's released a seasonal CD where he sings in harmony with his 14 year old self. He'll join Richard and Aasmah in the studio. Tez Ilyas left the civil service for comedy after doing a Saturday course in stand up. He's since appeared in eight competition finals, had a show in Edinburgh and wrote and performe...

Kate Silverton and the Rev Richard Coles talk to Adrian Chiles about football and a particular match that pitted black players against white players. Phoebe Wainman is the current British Stock Car Champion. She discusses the thrills and dangers of her sport and what it's like to come from a Stock Car racing dynasty. Mark Grist gave up teaching English when his other career as a rapper took off. H...

British Bushcraft, survival expert and photographer Ray Mears talks to Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about what draws him to the outdoors. Charlie McDonnell was the first Video Blogger in the UK to reach one million YouTube subscribers. He explains why he's trying to make science fun. Saturday Live listener Paula Reid explains why she quit her job to become an Adventurer. Reporter JP Devlin mee...

Clare Balding and Sir David Tang join Aasmah and Richard Clare Balding was a horse mad girl who became a leading amateur flat jockey in her teens. She found success as a racing correspondent and since then has presented the Olympics 6 times, as well as numerous other chat shows, documentaries, and programmes about biking, walking. Now she's mined her own experience, and written a children's book a...