Desert Island Discs
BBC Radio 4Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 2000 | Founded | 17 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Personal JournalsMusicMusic CommentarySociety & Culture | |||
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Latest Episodes
The actor and writer Meera Syal was cast away by Sue Lawley in 2003.
She was awarded a Damehood earlier this year, but Meera Syal rose to prominence as one of the writers of the TV series Goodness Gracious Me. It came at a time in the 1990s when the... more
The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.
She has reported from many war-torn countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, but says she doesn't want to be defined by war. Instead, she is int... more
The former England manager Gareth Southgate was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024.
He was 25 when he made his debut for the England team. By the time he retired from international football, he had been capped 57 times. As England manager, he led t... more
The actor Michael Sheen was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025.
He has portrayed many real people on stage including Tony Blair, Brian Clough and David Frost, though never Jack Nicholson. That was his father's department, who had a second career im... more
Key Facts
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Recent Guests
Host
Reviews
- A glimpse
These interviews give us a brief glimpse into a wide variety of people’s lives from all walks of life, demographics, and vocations. Relaxed, vulnerable at times but thoroughly entertaining.
Apple Podcasts5grace5grace
United Kingdom3 months ago - Brilliant presenter
I love Lauren’s way with people. Smart, funny, kind, empathetic.
Apple Podcasts5Anne-Louise F
Ireland4 months ago - Presenter blooming into the role
Great guests great presenter
Apple Podcasts5Jelly1966Ireland7 months ago - I ❤️ Desert Islands Discs!
I’ve been listening for many years & Lauren Laverne & Kirsty Young are such amazing interviewers.
Apple Podcasts5Georgy McD
Australia7 months ago - The Perfect Show
Always enthralling
Apple Podcasts5Good WhalesAustralia7 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #40 |  United States/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Spotify | #200 | United Kingdom/Top Podcasts |
Spotify | #27 | United Kingdom/Society & Culture |
Spotify | #192 | United Kingdom/Trending |
Apple Podcasts | #108 | United Kingdom/Top Podcasts |
Apple Podcasts | #2 | United Kingdom/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Desert Island Discs
What is Desert Island Discs about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Listeners typically tune in for intimate, thoughtful conversations with high-profile artists, writers, journalists, and cultural figures who share personal stories alongside eight-track soundtracks. The format blends life history, career milestones, and creative influences, often touching on resilience, identity, and mentorship. Episodes tend to highlight how music intersects with memory, fame, and everyday wisdom, making it appealing to fans of culture, storytelling, and human-interest profiles. A notable strength is the breadth of guests across arts, sport, journalism, and public life, yielding conversations that feel warm, candid, and universally relatable for listeners who value authenticity and curiosity about people's journeys.
Where can I find podcast stats for Desert Island Discs?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Desert Island Discs. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Desert Island Discs and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Desert Island Discs get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Desert Island Discs, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Desert Island Discs?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Desert Island Discs, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Desert Island Discs have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Desert Island Discs has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Desert Island Discs?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Desert Island Discs:
1. Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth
2. The Louis Theroux Podcast
3. The Rest Is Entertainment
4. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
5. Dish
How many episodes of Desert Island Discs are there?
Desert Island Discs launched 17 years ago and published 2000 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Desert Island Discs?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Desert Island Discs?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Desert Island Discs from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Desert Island Discs?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Desert Island Discs. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Desert Island Discs?
Recent guests on Desert Island Discs include:
1. Michael Sheen
2. Rick Rubin
3. Caitlin Moran
4. Romesh Ranganathan
5. Tanni Grey-Thompson
6. James Graham
7. Jessica Ennis-Hill
8. Lily Allen
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.