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 fear of heights to perform tricks on a highwire! JP meets Dr. Evadne Hinge (George Logan) - the sur...
Jan 07, 2017•1 hr 25 min
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 creative in the New Year. Pyrotechnician Jon Culverhouse explains the secrets behind putting on an awa...
Dec 31, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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 be staying when he went home for Christmas and found he wasn't alone in experiencing unusual festive ...
Dec 24, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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 The Secret Lives of Colour. Saturday Live listener Mark Sutton Vane was obsessed with torches as a c...
Dec 17, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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 around the world in the pursuit of comedy, reveals just what led him to get an unusual tattoo on hi...
Dec 10, 2016•1 hr 17 min
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, and explains what makes a good Dame. The Saturday Live pantomime, written by Alan McHugh, and performe...
Dec 03, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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 performed the Tez Talks series about how to be a Muslim on BBC Radio 4. A chance conversation with a friend ...
Nov 26, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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. He explains how a chance encounter at a poetry performance evening ended up with him taking part in b...
Nov 19, 2016•1 hr 25 min
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 meets Zucchero, an Italian singer-songwriter most famous in the UK for the duet "Senza Una Donna (Witho...
Nov 12, 2016•1 hr 23 min
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 about a horse mad girl. Giles Chapman is a lover of Classic Cars and was Editor of Classic & Spor...
Nov 05, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Actor and broadcaster Tony Robinson joins Aasmah Mir and Rev. Richard Coles to talk about his life onstage, the impact of playing Baldrick, and the unusual way his love of history developed. Gemma-Louise Stevenson shares the art of wheelchair dancing. Saturday Live Listener Dr.Ciaran O'Keeffe reveals how Ghostbusters inspired him to become a Parapsychologist. Writer Jonathan Harvey meets up with JP Devlin and explains why he's decided to return to his hometown of Liverpool. Venezuelan pianist Ga...
Oct 29, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Alexander Armstrong, quizmaster, actor, classically trained baritone and occasional oboist shares his love of music and llamas. Arlene Phillips left home at 22 to follow a career in dance. She founded the dance troupe Hot Gossip, courting controversy with Mary Whitehouse, and went on to work with a string of artists from Aretha Franklin to Robbie Williams and choreographed Hollywood films and West End shows. Charlie Dark grew up listening to pirate radio in his bedroom and by the time he was a t...
Oct 22, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Michael Ball joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss his musical collaboration with the Tenor Alfie Boe; his family's association with the Mini car, and how he deals with his superstitions. The inventor and designer, Max McMurdo, shares his passion for upcycling and explains how he made 25 items from an old Beetle, and converted a shipping container into his home. Adele Jackson describes her five months working at the post office in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, sending out 70,000 pos...
Oct 15, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Tom Fletcher of McFly, Silent Film pianist Neil Brand, Bookshop frequenter Erica Jones and extreme engineer Jimmy de Ville join Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. Tom Fletcher is best known as singer and songwriter of McFly, he's also written for Busted and One Direction, clocking up ten UK number one singles. He's also a children's author, having written The Dinosaur that Pooped series with his band mate Dougie Poynter, he's now written The Christmasaurus, his first solo kids' novel. Saturday Live l...
Oct 08, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Ian Wright joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss his football career, proudest achievements and life after retiring from the game aged 36. Reporter JP Devlin talks to Saturday Live listener Maria Prowse who talks about the special relationship with her dog- which nearly ended when Maria gave her dog away after her husband died. Writer India Knight shares her love of dogs and reveals why she decided to choose her own name as a teenager. Nicola White talks about collecting message...
Oct 01, 2016•1 hr 25 min
The illusionist Derren Brown joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles to discuss why he's spent three years researching what makes us happy. The ex-footballer and manager of the England Women's Team, Hope Powell, received 66 caps for England and became the first women to obtain the UEFA pro licence. After managing the England Women's team for 15 years she has recently been appointed as the first female coach educator at the Professional Footballer's Association. Heavy metal marine biologist "...
Sep 24, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Comedian and writer David Baddiel on writing for children and whether death and dementia make good subjects for comedy. Olympic diver Chris Mears won gold in Rio in spectacular style. He reveals how a brush with death inspired his success and his sideline as a music producer. On the centenary of Roald Dahl's birth, Dr Tom Solomon discusses how the writer's fascination with medicine inspired many of his characters such as the BFG. As a junior doctor, Tom shared many late night conversations with ...
Sep 17, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Cerys Matthews, Damon Hill, Meik Wiking and Benny Lewis join Aasmah and Richard for Saturday Live. He became Formula One World Champion in 1996, following in the footsteps of his father, the legendary F1 champion Graham Hill who tragically died in a plane crash when Damon was 15 years old. Now a SKYF1 racing commentator, Damon will be telling us how he ended up behind the wheel himself. Cerys Mathew came to our attention singing about Road Rage and Mulder and Scully with her band Catatonia, she'...
Sep 10, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Stand-up comedian and actor John Bishop joins Aasmah Mir and the Rev. Richard Coles. John Bishop found fame after discovering his talent for stand-up comedy in his thirties. He talks about his willingness to try new things, which includes a new TV interview series, his Liverpudlian identity and creating comedy. Listener Rachel Gadsden is an artist who is involved in creating artworks and an animation for the lighting of the Paralympic Heritage Torch Lighting Ceremony. Pianist Antimo Magnotta tal...
Sep 03, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by Ralf Little. He first came to our attention as Antony in The Royle Family and has now produced the 'mockumentary' series Borderline. He reveals why he swapped medical school for acting and what it was like to play football with Zinedine Zidane. JP Devlin meets Fergus Anckorn, a former British soldier, he was the youngest member of the Magic Circle and now, at the age of 97, he is its oldest member. Joanna Cannon advises people to 'dare to fail'. Having ...
Aug 27, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Miles Jupp joins the Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir and shares his love of cricket, rollercoasters and why he is possibly the poshest stand-up comedian on the circuit. Lance Corporal Richard Jones from the Household Cavalry reveals how he combines being a magician alongside his military career. Plus a trio of extreme sports enthusiasts: Blake Aldridge on why he left the world of Olympic diving to become a cliff diver, Emily Guilding explains the appeal of wing walking and why she performs head...
Aug 20, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Craig Charles and David Emanuel join Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir. For a while Craig Charles was best known for playing Dave Lister in sci fi comedy Red Dwarf, but he has probably usurped that with his love for Funk and Soul, dj-ing on BBC 6 music and gigging around the country. With acting, poetry, performance, dj-ing and writing under his belt, now he's championing BBC Get Playing. Fashion Designer and Royal Couturier David Emanuel has dressed Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, Joan Collins and Prince...
Aug 13, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Martin Fry is a singer/songwriter who came to prominence in the early 1980s as lead singer of the band ABC. Their debut album, the Lexicon of Love, was a UK number one. Thirty four years on, he has released a sequel to reflect how his perspective on life and love has changed; and he explains why he now chooses to perform with an orchestra. The conductor Paul MacAlindin recalls how a newspaper advert: 'Iraqi teen seeks Maestro' led to him becoming the musical director of the National Youth Orches...
Aug 06, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep talks about life as a dancer, his love of the stars and shares his unusual new hobby. Gary Fildes is a bricklayer turned astronomer, and founder of the Kielder Observatory in Northumberland. Listener Andrew Townsend talks about how his life changed after taking up running when he was 55. Reporter JP Devlin will be hearing all about how to train cats with Sarah Ellis, a Feline Behaviour Specialist. Writer and Producer Tony Garnett shares his Inheritance Tracks...
Jul 30, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Saturday Live's summer road trip begins in South Shields, at the Westovian Theatre, with Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. As preparations for the maritime themed summer parade get underway, actor and presenter Denise Welch talks about why the North East will always be home, the return of TV series Boy Meets Girl and keeping her Geordie accent. Olympian Brendan Foster talks about his athletic career and his inspiration for founding the Great North Run. Leading the summer parade in South Shields is l...
Jul 28, 2016•1 hr 25 min
The Saturday Live Summer Road Trip pulls into its final stop in Cromer, Norfolk where Reverend Richard Coles and Kate Silverton broadcast live from the Pavilion Theatre at the end of Cromer Pier. They are joined by Lesley Garrett, one of Britain's most popular sopranos, actor and writer Charlie Higson who found fame with the Fast Show, the double bass playing beatboxer Bellatrix and Steve Ignorant, lead singer of seminal punk band Crass, who became a Norfolk lifeboat man and part time Punch and ...
Jul 28, 2016•1 hr 25 min
This week the Saturday Live road trip continues to Morecambe in Lancashire, where the Catch The Wind Kite Festival is taking place this weekend, with beautiful views across Morecambe Bay and plenty of fresh sea air. The programme comes live from The Platform, where Aasmah Mir and the Reverend Richard Coles celebrate the great day out, nostalgia, kites and space. Morecambe-born designer Wayne Hemingway recalls his childhood in the resort, and tells us why Morecambe's seafront provides the perfect...
Jul 16, 2016•1 hr 25 min
The next stop on the Saturday Live summer road trip is the beautiful seaside town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire. It's the Long Course Weekend and Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles will be celebrating extreme sports, adrenaline and music, live from Wales. Wrexham lad Tim Vincent first hit our screens as the youngest ever male Blue Peter presenter, which saw him flying a fighter jet, running the New York Marathon and carrying a large tree around with 3 other paras. He's spent the last 11 years as the rovin...
Jul 09, 2016•1 hr 25 min
Richard Madeley is one of the most recognizable faces on British TV, part of a successful husband and wife presenting team that lasted over 20 years. He has written four books - one about his relationship with his father, the latest called 'The Night Book' which is published this month. Living statues. You see them now in Trafalgar Sq. and at the seaside, wherever tourists gather, standing dead still, or sometimes even appearing to hover, for hours for the amusement of the crowds. One (at least)...
Jun 25, 2016•1 hr 26 min
Rick Astley rolls into the studio to talk to Aasmah Mir and Rev Richard Coles about his comeback album, what it's like to be at the top of the charts the second time round and why he drives to as many different concerts as possible even if they are abroad. Police Sergeant Colin Taylor reveals the trials of policing one of Britain's most remote communities on the Scilly Isles. Professional clown Dan Lees discusses his experiences of performing for children in refugee camps as part of the Clown Wi...
Jun 18, 2016•1 hr 25 min
