Desert Island Discs

The actress Penelope Keith, who died earlier this year, was cast away by Roy Plomley in 1976.
She became best known for her roles in the BBC sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born, but Penelope Keith began her career in repertory theatre. In 1963, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, getting notices as a very enthusiastic 16th citizen in Julius Caesar.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The boxer Anthony Joshua was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024.
He is a two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist who was raised by his mother after his parents divorced when he was 12. He credits her with much of his success, but says that she can't watch his fights, staying in her hotel room to pray for him instead.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor and comedian Kathy Burke was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2010.
She came to prominence when she appeared in Kevin and Perry TV sketches opposite Harry Enfield. Perry, the prepubescent schoolboy, was a role she was able to draw on from her own years as a teenager. What saved her, she says, was the arrival of punk music.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor Stephen Mangan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025.
He made his breakthrough on television playing Adrian Mole in The Cappuccino Years in 2001. Although he was glad to get the part, he describes being cast by Adrian Mole's creator, Sue Townsend, as a somewhat disconcerting experience.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The singer songwriter Nick Cave was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025.
He has written huge hits such as "Into My Arms" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow", but songwriting doesn't come easily to him. His notebooks are full of what he describes as "bad stuff", and he'd like them to be burned after his death, thank you very much. The best way to approach the job, he says, is in office hours and wearing a suit.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.