Saturday Live

Dawn French has been one of Britain’s best-loved comedians since the mid-1980’s when her double act with Jennifer Saunders became a prime time television hit. She became even more famous as the star of The Vicar of Dibley and has gone on to write books, tour solo and write, produce and perform in television comedy and drama.William Sitwell is a restaurant critic and food writer whose appearances on MasterChef and controversial comments about veganism have propelled him into the spotlight. His new book The Restaurant: A History of Eating Out allows us to dine out vicariously whilst the chefs’ kitchens remain closed.Isobel Midnight was working in a care home when her sister booked her onto a beginners fire eating course. A few years later Isobel became a professional performer and last year she won two Guinness World Records for fire eating.Saturday Live listener Jolene Jessiman shares the story of her great-grandmother Carrie Baliol who played for the first ever Scottish women’s football team in 1881.And playw

Richard Coles and Kate Silverton are joined by Gabby Logan who has covered most of the major sporting events in football, rugby and athletics and been a trailblazer for women in sport. Her own sporting credentials are impeccable : she’s the daughter of professional footballer and manager Terry Yorath, married to rugby international Kenny Logan and was also an international competitor in rhythmic gymnastics. Carl Austin-Behan left a promising career in the RAF in the late 90s after his military superiors discovered he was gay. Since then he started his own business, won the Mr Gay UK contest and became the youngest person to ever hold the office of Lord Mayor of Manchester. Comedian and actress Natasha Demetriou is well known for her role as a Nadja, an ancient vampire trying to cope with life in modern day New York in the comedy What We Do In The Shadows. However her latest project lets her out into the daylight, as she presents the Big Flower Fight, a surreal competition for avant-garde florists who make hug

This week Richard Coles and Kate Silverton are joined by Ricky Wilson, the lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs. The band’s hits include I Predict A Riot and Ruby and last year they released their seventh album, Duck. Ricky was a judge on The Voice and now presents the Pop Detectives podcast with Tony Blackburn.Jack Monroe was an unemployed single parent living in poverty when she started a blog called A Girl Called Jack which described cooking nutritious meals for her family on a tiny budget. She is now a well-known cookery writer and campaigner, whose ability to knock up delicious food with limited ingredients has come into its own during the lockdown.Sandra Palmer dreamed of being a fashion designer as a child. Her father Fritz had been a tailor in Jamaica before moving to Birmingham where he worked as a lorry driver. He would sew the dancing costumes Sandra designed as child and after Fritz died in 1999, Sandra decided to keep his legacy alive.Richard Keenan was told that he was adopted when he was nine. Afte

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Kirstie Allsopp - she has been in our living rooms, stepping into other people’s living rooms, and generally exploring their houses, for 20 years via TV's Location, Location, Location. She’s also embraced the nation’s obsession with crafts with programmes such as Kirstie's Homemade Home, Kirstie's Homemade Christmas, and most recently Keep Crafting and Carry on. She joins us. We also have Paul O’Grady, first known to us as Lily Savage, comedian from Birkenhead, dog lover, small holding owner, national treasure. And Esther Safran Foer, the daughter of a holocaust survivor who returned to Ukraine to meet the family who saved her father's life. And Kelly Smith, MBE, who holds the record for being the top scorer for England women with 46 goals in 117 appearances. She fought against prejudice but went on to play for England, Arsenal and in the US and since her retirement in 2017, has been a commentator and pundit on both the women’s and men’s games. There are the I

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Kathy Burke who became a household name in the 1990’s for her comedy roles in Harry Enfield and Chums, Absolutely Fabulous and Gimme Gimme Gimme. She won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 for her performance in Nil By Mouth and is now a theatre director and writer. Dan Jones is an author of bestselling books on English history including The Plantagenets, The Wars of the Roses, and now the 20th Century. His historical sweep is broad, as is his career, which has included writing about men’s health and exercise, interviewing A-list celebrities and a regular sports column in the Evening Standard. Jessie Knight is currently juggling being a primary school teacher with training as a champion 400m runner. In the past it was a combination that Jessie found impossible, retiring early from her sport only to change her mind, resume training and go on to win the 400metres at the British Indoor Championships in February. Listener Sharon Yamamoto White tells t

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by Sarah Millican, one of the most successful women working in comedy in the UK, Sarah Dodd, a medic in the NHS who in her freetime has completed over 1675 escape rooms and who now competes in an international team of escape room enthusiasts and writer Helen Moat discusses her bicycle journey from Rotterdam to Istanbul and the healing benefits of slow travel. Plus actor Joe Tracini who has become a hit on social media after creating hilarious dance videos for those wishing to limber up during the lock down. We have the Inheritance Tracks of Police drummer Stewart Copeland who chooses Aaron Copland's Hoe Down from Rodeo and Spanish Castle Magic by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus your thank yous. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by writer Marian Keyes, who has just published her 14th novel and has over 30 million of her books sold to date in 36 languages. Also with us is Tori Amos, the Grammy nominated singer-songwriter who has made 15 studio albums, sold 15 million records and also branched off into the worlds of classical music and musical theatre. John Partridge is known for his contribution to EastEnders and Celebrity MasterChef - which he won - he'll be talking about how cooking helped him through difficult stages of his life. And Flavian Obiero, the Sussex pig farmer who arrived in the UK from Kenya aged 15 and, as a keen sportsman, entered Britain's Fittest Farmer competition. We have the Inheritance Tracks of DJ and presenter Janice Long who chooses Happiness performed by Ken Dodd and Love Song by The Cure, and your thank yous. Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Clare Balding who 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 and walking. She has now added dogs to her list of interests and has launched her own “Dogcast”.The actor Daniel Mays has won widespread critical acclaim for roles in a diverse range of films, television and theatre productions, from Mike Leigh’s Palme d’Or nominated All or Nothing and Vera Drake to the hit police drama Line of Duty, Mother’s Day in which he portrayed Colin Parry, whose son Tim was murdered by the IRA in Warrington. His latest role is in the new Sky buddy-cop comedy Code 404, with Stephen Graham. Laura Dockrill is an author, illustrator and performance poet whose first adult book What Have I Done? is a memoir of her experience of postnatal psychosis.And Bernard Bibby who has recently earned the extraordinary achievement of passing his Grade 1 ballet exam at the age

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Alexandra Shulman, former editor of Vogue, who produced the magazine for 25 years and has now published a book about her life at the top, the pressures she faced and her love of clothes. Comedian Joe Lycett explains why he legally changed his name to Hugo Boss and back again. Commercial pilot Kate Burrows shares her story of surviving a crash landing in the Irish Sea and how she went on to become a member of the Goldfish Club. Natural history TV director Benedict MacDonald reveals the lengths he goes to bring nature programmes to our screens and also his mission to re-wild the British Isles. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch who chooses Snake Hip Swing by Ken Snake Hips Johnson and Pf Fat by Steve Williamson Feat. Black Thought (the Roots). Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Claudia Winkleman, one of our best known TV and radio presenters, known for her sharp wit and self deprecating humour not to say her thick black fringe, presenter of Strictly, Radio 2, podcast with Tanya Byron amongst many other things, she joins us on Saturday Live. We also have Comic actor/ writer Robert Webb, from Peep show, Back, Mitchell and Webb, Confetti, dancing Flashdance to win Let's Dance for Comic relief, memoirist and now with his first novel.and accountant Zahrah Mahmood was dismayed when her friends from her accountancy course took her hillwalking as a birthday present to take her mind off a difficult exam four years ago. But despite huffing and puffing to the top of Ben Lomond in a heavy scarf that first August day, hillwalking would become the hobby she turned to when things were tough. and Andy McMillan is a listener who is one of only 3 professional model train makers in the UK. He's been 40 years in the business.We have the Inheritance Tracks o

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by former professional footballer turned sports broadcaster Gary Lineker. During his playing career he played for Leicester, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham and Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight and was famously never booked. He has presented the BBC flagship show Match of the Day since 1999 and now has a 5Live Match of the Day (MOTD) podcast with fellow pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, who meet up in Gary's kitchen for weekly debates about football.Roland Gift was the lead singer of 80’s chart-topping band Fine Young Cannibals and, following his debut role in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, he went on to have a successful acting career. Roland has now written and is starring in Return To Vegas, a musical drama for BBC Radio 4. Clare Pooley is an author and the blogger behind Mummy was a Secret Drinker. Five years ago, despite appearing to be a glossy PR manager who had it all, she realised she was an alcoholic. But how do you tell the truth about your life? Clare started

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by six time Olympic Champion, Sir Chris Hoy, who discusses the inspiration behind his career, retirement and writing children’s books. Ruth Linton is a grandmother from Manchester who became a stand up comedian after being treated for a brain tumour. Saturday Live listener and former high-flying police officer James Ellson reveals why he left the challenging streets of Moss Side to become a smallholder and writer of crime fiction and actor Mim Shaikh discusses why he joined a pilgrimage from Belgrade to Istanbul. Plus broadcaster Johnnie Walker shares his inheritance tracks. Producer: Steven Williams Editor: Eleanor Garland

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined on the line by Sir Bob Geldof, of The Boomtown Rats, who left Dun Laoghaire for London, became known for punchy hits and outspoken interviews, then creating Band Aid and Live Aid. We also have Kelda Wood, who, in her mid twenties suffered a life changing injury and she has just become the first para athlete to row solo across the Atlantic. Derrick Osaze is ‘the punching preacher’ – last year he became Ultimate Boxxer III middleweight champion and was ordained as a minister. He joins us. Mary Wood, on her experience as a police officer of looking after a foundling for 24 hours, 25 years ago. And the inheritance tracks of Martina Cole who chooses Galway Bay, performed by Ruby Murray and Word on a Wing by David Bowie And your thank yous. Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Eleanor Garland

Neil Morrissey became a household name in the 1990’s playing Tony in sitcom Men Behaving Badly. As the voice of Bob the Builder he had two number one singles in the UK Charts and now combines acting with running pubs.Alice Morrison is an adventurer who lives and (mostly!) explores in Morocco. She was previously a BBC news editor. She’s travelled extensively in the region, most recently completing a 78-day trek across the Saharan desert with three Berber companions and six camels, receiving help from nomads, and walking through areas of quicksand and landmines.As a teenager who was suffering from depression, Matt Wesolowski was drawn to goth culture and wrote fiction involving vampires and monsters. He is now a bestselling author but has kept his day job teaching English to young people in Pupil Referral Units.Nadia Finer is a business coach with a small voice. The kind of small voice that once made another mum at the school gates tell her own mum that ‘she ought to get that sorted out’, and which led to Nadia

Jo Whiley joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev Richard Coles. Jo presents on Radio 2 and from Glastonbury, as well as pursing her passion for gardening. A competitive swimmer in her youth, she is about to take on the triathlon for Sport Relief. Saturday Live listener Deborah Rowland, who trained as an archaeologist and an anthropologist, describes how she uncovered her own human heritage when she tracked down her birth parents. When Ryan Riley’s mum Krista was diagnosed with terminal small cell lung cancer, he cared for her for two years. In that time chemotherapy and radiotherapy dulled her sense of taste and she couldn’t enjoy food. After she died, Ryan had a life changing moment and decided to set up a cookery school for people like his mum.Adapted from his memoir, Greetings From Bury Park, the feature film Blinded by the Light tells the story of Javed (Sarfraz Manzoor), a British Muslim teenager growing up in Luton and how he finds inspiration and hope in the unlikely form of Bruce Springsteen. Sarfraz expl

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Joanna Trollope CBE, who has 22 novels to her name. A keen observer of our life and times, she is also the fifth-generation niece of Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope, has chaired awards, judged literature prizes and updated Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. We also have Jason Watkins, the BAFTA winning actor who played Harold Wilson in The Crown, also starred in Nativity!, W1A, Line of Duty, Being Human and now McDonald & Dodds, two feature length detective police dramas. He is also a patron for Child Bereavement UK, following the death of his 2 year old daughter from Sepsis. At the age of 35, Saturday Live listener Raphaël Kopel wanted to play football, but never having played before he found he was shunned on the pitch and struggled to improve. So, he decided to learn how to play, and then trained as a coach for other people, like him, who never learned as a child. He joins us.Claire Nelson never imagined one of those terrifying stranded-in-the-dese

Actor, writer and director Zawe Ashton’s career began at the age of six and, having appeared on stage and in films ever since, it was the TV role of Vod in Fresh Meat that made her famous. She has since appeared in Hollywood films, had her play For All the Women Who Thought They were Mad performed in New York and London and has published Character Breakdown, an account of her life as a young actor.Amit Patel was a busy 33 year-old A&E doctor when he completely lost his sight over a 36-hour period, just 18 months after getting married. He hit rock bottom, and didn’t leave his home for three months. That’s when Kika came into his life – a guide dog who had been labelled as ‘difficult’.Jewellery maker and metalworker Bob Rowberry spent the 1960s and 70s importing Afghan coats which appeared in Vogue and holding Eric Capton’s hat as he busked. He now lives off-grid in an old school bus, growing his own produce and teaching his craft.Eleanor Wood is a writer from Brighton who, aged 32, felt like her life was f

Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles are joined by the film director, DJ and musician Don Letts. He talks about being the son of Windrush, scion of dub and midwife of punk-reggae. Molly Case is a nurse specialist in cardiac care and a slam poet, who wowed the Royal College of Nursing conference with a spoken word performance that made headlines. She explains what inspired her to make the switch from English to medicine. Barry Dring lived a double life: oil trader by day, skateboarder by night. He describes how, since becoming a father, he’s discovered a new passion – for crochet.Bridget Anderson grew up in Newport in South Wales, with mixed Welsh Burmese heritage. She recalls her grandmother’s wonderful stories of Burma, and fantastic cooking from Balachaung to Dahl and Wonton Pick-me-up-Soup.Robert Carlyle shares his Inheritance Tracks: Watching the Wheels, by John Lennon and Waiting on a Friend by The Rolling Stones.Producer: Louise Corley Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir are joined by Tracey Thorn, who escaped from suburbia, went to Hull University and emerged as one half of pop group Everything but the Girl. Her latest book details the influence of her background on her journey – not least how boredom was for her a catalyst for creativity. She joins us on Saturday Live. Jenny Tong went from rebellious childhood and repeated school exclusions to trying weightlifting at University where she was doing an International Relations and Politics degree. Today she holds three British Under-23 records and finished fifth at the European Youth Championships in Romania. She joins us.We also have Monty Halls, who left the Royal marines when he realised his passion was the marine part – he retrained as a marine biologist and has done expeditions and documentaries about marine life ever since. His latest one sees him take his whole family with him, to the Galapagos islands.Stephen Saunders learnt to fly after he lost a leg in an accident – then he flew a hot a

Frances Barber first played rock star, screen goddess and drug addict Billie Trix 18 years ago and, along with Jonathan Harvey and the Pet Shop Boys, she is set to reprise the role in cabaret Musik.Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse began as two Instagram posts called “help” and “kind” that were shared a million times. They have been included in a book of life lessons that has become a surprise bestseller here and in the US.Steve Smith is one of America’s most experienced astronauts. He has taken part in four missions and performed seven space walks, including five to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.Rosie Wilby is a comedian and "love researcher" who presents The Break-Up Monologues podcast.And Emeli Sande shares her Inheritance Tracks - Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and Elgar's Cello Concerto performed by Jacqueline Du Pre.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland