Join Adrian Chiles for a Saturday morning full of remarkable people with extraordinary stories.
Richard Coles with materials scientist Professor Mark Miodownik, poet Luke Wright, Sue Chapman who learned to read and write in her sixties, Maurice Holder whose life was saved by his dog, JP Devlin takes a Daytrip with Chas Hodges from Rockney duo Chas 'n' Dave, and the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Sarah Millican. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.
Richard Coles with The Selecter's Pauline Black, poet Kate Fox, Natasha Owen Jones who traced her long-lost brother only to find he was a convicted killer and who has just returned from meeting him for the first time, one of the original inhabitants of Milton Keynes, the story of a beloved breadboard, and the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Ben Miller. Producer: Dixi Stewart.
Richard Coles with Joan Collins, poet Aoife Mannix, Hammer House of Horror actor Shane Briant, the mother of three who took adopted her friend's 5 children when tragedy struck, a voice artist makes us go 'aaaaah', a Sound Sculpture about Morse Code and the Inheritance Tracks of Duke Fakir from The Four Tops. Producer: Sukey Firth.
Richard Coles with comedienne Andi Osho, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Dr Bill Ritchie who helped create Dolly the Sheep, Philip Morrell, the Barnado's boy turned millionaire who's lending his boat to the Queen for the Jubilee, Patrick Newman who's trying to change the date of British Summer Time, a Soundscape of a guitar, and the Inheritance Tracks of arts guru Sir Christopher Frayling. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with astronomer Dr Lucie Green, poet Salena Godden, Diane Blood who made legal history 15 years ago by fighting for the right to bear her dead husband's children, and super athlete Chrissy Wellington who's 4 times winner of the female Iron Man triathlon, a Daytrip to Sheffield with The Human League/Heaven 17's Martyn Ware, a man who has a theory about height and school uniform and the Inheritance Tracks of Speaker of The House of Commons John Bercow.
On this week's Saturday Live, Richard Coles' guest is a television presenter and media personality whose private life has intrigued the tabloids - Anthea Turner. The sometime 'perfect housewife', Anthea will be fronting the 'Get Britain Crafting' campaign later in the year. This week's poet is Mr Gee, from humble beginnings as a Hip-Hop DJ, Mr Gee has honed his spoken word skills to become one of the stars of the UK poetry scene. We meet Jesse Ruiz, who, as a 27-year-old law student looking for ...
Anita Anand with singer/songwriter Christy Moore, poet Matt Harvey, a couple whose house burned down so they built a boat and set sail, a woman who treasures a blanket from the Isle of Wight Festival, a professional matchmaker, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor/comedian Rob Brydon. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles in Leicester with journalist, broadcaster and political aide Alastair Campbell, songwriter and comedian Mitch Benn, 1970's popsters Showaddywaddy, Ugandan Asian exile Nisha Popat who came to Leicester in 1972, International Rescue fireman Ian Holden who helped out after the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand a year ago & fitness guru and Dancing on Ice star Rosemary Conley's Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart & Justin Bones.
Richard Coles with philosopher Alain de Botton, poet Aoife Mannix, the 70's pop star who was summoned to play at the Kremlin, the woman who tracked down her long lost brother only to find him serving 99 years for murder in an American jail, one of the UK's oldest diabetics who was treated by the man who invented insulin, the vicar's son who got a windfall from the local undertaker and the Inheritance Tracks of singer Ani DiFranco. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson.
Richard Coles with TV personality Ulrika Jonsson, poet Elvis McGonagall, a sword swallower who tore his own oesophagus, a woman who became best friends with her husband's mistress, a man who hitched a ride with a coffin, and a Crowdscape from Sleaford. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of comedian Ruby Wax. Producer: Sukey Firth.
Richard Coles with journalist Jon Ronson, poet Kate Fox, a man who extracts alien implants, the teacher who went to Turkey and found herself driving the school bus, a woman who is addicted to the South Pole and a Sound Sculpture of crows. Plus the Inheritance Tracks of actress Jenny Agutter. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with fashion icon Twiggy, poet Luke Wright, a woman whose baby was born in the back of a cab, a boy who drives his own school bus, a 70 year old Hollywood body double, and a man who speaks 26 languages. Plus choreographer Arlene Phillips' Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Anna Bailey.
Anita Anand with social entrepreneur Paul Twivy, poet Mr Gee, a girl born mid-flight, a German heralding New Year with British slapstick, the homeless tour guides & singer Cyndi Lauper's Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Sukey Firth.
Sian Williams with adventurer Steve Backshall, poet Murray Lachlan Young, a zookeeper who acted as a surrogate mother to a sick baby gorilla, a man who flew the only relief flight into Ethiopia on Christmas Day 1984 with 'Do They Know It's Christmas' playing over the airplane PA, a group of women who are rowing across the Atlantic, a man who was attacked by his neighbour's macaque monkey and the Inheritance Tracks of musician and Beatle son Julian Lennon. Producer: Dixi Stewart.
Richard Coles with actress Samantha Bond, poet Luke Wright, young ballerina Izzy McGuire who left home to train in Russia when she was just 14, medical scientist Dame Julia Polak who ended up suffering from the rare condition she'd been researching, JP Devlin continues the saga of celebrity panda Chi-chi this week with Chris Madden who was the man she mauled, a Sound Sculpture of a saw from listener Alexander Frew, and the Inheritance Tracks of choirmaster Gareth Malone. Producer: Sukey Firth....
Richard Coles with politician turned panto star Ann Widdecombe, poet Matt Harvey, one man who lives in the house where John Lennon grew up, and another who cared for celebrity panda Chi Chi, a woman who lost two thirds of her body weight and another who reclaimed the park behind her house for the local teens who wrecked her garden, and the Inheritance Tracks of actor Simon Callow. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with rising opera star Noah Stewart, poet Aoife Mannix, the fashion photographer turned photojournalist who went to Afghanistan where he stepped on a landmine and lost three limbs, the art teacher who taught Young British Artists Damian Hirst and Marcus Harvey, the Parliament choir, and the Inheritance Tracks of Sporty Spice Girl Mel C. Producer: Anna Bailey.
Richard Coles with crime writer Patricia Cornwell, poet Elvis McGonagall, Michelle Clements who accompanied her terminally ill husband to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, Alisdair Macleod from the Outer Hebrides who's explored the shipwreck which inspired Whisky Galore, the club DJ who found a rare recording of Cassius Clay singing 'Stand By Me', and the Ulrika Jonsson shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with the filmmaker Sir Alan Parker, Fergus Anckorn whose life was saved by a magic trick, and Fiona who had to tell her children she was likely to be sent to jail. JP Devlin shuffles through Kirsty Young's mp3 player to reveal her musical choices and textile designer and David Hockney muse Celia Birtwell shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Sukey Firth.
Richard Coles with performer Michael Ball, poet Mr Gee, Mini-Miss Worldwide Bethany Jade and her mum Debbie, Peter Phillips who was Robert Maxwell's official receiver, an I Was There feature from Jim'll Fix It with the man who fixed it for Jim, and the Inheritance Tracks of film and theatre director John Crowley. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with chef Allegra McEvedy, poet Murray Lachlan Young, one woman who wants to be a firework when she dies and another who lives on stuff that's been thrown away; comedian Omid Djalili plays bongos and singer-songwriter and all round musical legend Randy Newman shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Dixi Stewart.
Richard Coles with author and illustrator Lauren Child, poet Matt Harvey & Inheritance Tracks from Sue Johnston. Producer: Simon Clancy.
Richard Coles with pop star, writer and play advocate Pat Kane, poet Mr Gee, the referee at the Hillsborough disaster & one of the original Concorde cabin crew. There's a soundsculpture of the San Francisco cable car bell, and the Inheritance Tracks of singer, band leader and actor Harry Connick Jr. Producer: JP Devlin.
Richard Coles with advertising creative Rosie Arnold, poet Luke Wright, a couple who took an OAP gap year, and a former Zimbabwean Government official turned filmmaker who was driven from his country. Frank Skinner reveals his Secret Life and singer Tori Amos shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Debbie Kilbride.
Sian Williams with Gyles Brandreth, poet Elvis McGonagall, a woman who was experimented on by the British Eugenics Society, and a man from Oxford who's had a shark sticking out of his roof for the past 25 years. There's a Crowdscape from Broadstairs and Inheritance Tracks from Old Grey Whistle Test legend Bob Harris. Producer Simon Clancy.
Richard Coles with geneticist Professor Steve Jones, poet Kate Fox, a 14 year old boy with a bionic hand, and a former anarchist who describes what it was like to be part of the 1990 poll tax riots. There's an I Was There feature from the Conservative Party Conference of 1963, and to mark the 50th anniversary of Radio 4's In Touch, presenter Peter White shares his Inheritance Tracks.
Richard Coles with violinist Nigel Kennedy, poet Matt Harvey, Red Rum's former stable lad, and an anti-fascist campaigner who used to be a member of the BNP. There's the story of a ballet shoe that used to belong to Rudolph Nureyev and war correspondent Janine di Giovanni shares her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Simon Clancy.
Richard Coles with headmaster Sir William Atkinson and poet Murray Lachlan Young.
Richard Coles with writer, fisherman and former agony-uncle Nick Fisher, poet Salena Godden, the filmmaker who refused Colonel Gaddafi after going to meet him in the Libyan desert, a woman who grew up on the road in a traveller community, a Crowdscape from Glasgow's Central Station & Inheritance Tracks from Ophelia Dahl. Producer: Debbie Kilbride.
Richard Coles with Last Night of the Proms soprano Susan Bullock, poet Mr Gee, a man who who's been living with HIV for 30 years, and the UK's air-guitar champion. JP Devlin takes a Daytrip to Buxton with Dame Jenni Murray and Adam Ant shares his Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Debbie Kilbride.
