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Last Word

BBC Radio 4
BBC
Malaria
MI5
Sly Dunbar
Shipwrecks
CIA
Cold War
Dr. Lowitja O'donoghue
World War II
Pope Francis
Dick Cheney
Scottish Parliament
Deborah Cameron
Nicholas White
Lord Wallace
Yvonne Brewster
Mary May Mcgee
Civil Rights Movement
Nora Cortiñas
Television

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes582Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Personal JournalsDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Last Word

Latest Episodes

Dolly Parton broke the mould for country music over a seven-decade career, winning 10 Grammy awards, selling more than 100 million records worldwide, and writing in excess of 3,000 songs. Born in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, her childhood was o... more

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji spearheaded the explosive growth of the country’s economy in the 1990s. He had been previously removed from the Chinese Communist Party twice after criticising Mao Zedong. But by 1991 was charged with China's economy... more

William Orbit, the pioneering DJ and music producer, through his work with synthesizers and new studio technology he combined electronic dance music with pop, to create chart toppers. He grew up surrounded by classical music. His epiphany came when h... more

Rod Liddle was a columnist and broadcaster who strongly divided opinion. Some saw him as an entertaining satirist, others, a bigot. As a teenager he joined a punk band and studied social psychology at the London School of Economics. He was politicall... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Emily Eavis
Glastonbury Festival co-organiser who commented on Dolly Parton's performance
Glastonbury Festival
Episode: Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend
Pat Easterling
Professor of Greek and classical studies
University of Cambridge
Episode: Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend
Mary Beard
Classicist and broadcaster
University of Cambridge / Media
Episode: Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend
Deirdre McSharry
Editor and magazine journalist, Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan / Country Living
Episode: Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend
Dr. Robert Wynn
Consultant in bone marrow transplant, spoke about Paul Veys
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Episode: Zhu Rongji: The reformist Chinese Premier who ordered 100 coffins
Gunther von Hagens
Body Worlds founder and anatomist known for plastination
Episode: Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds
Juliet Gardiner
Social historian and author
Episode: Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds
Bill Oddie
Comedian, naturalist, and broadcaster
Episode: Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds
Dinkie Flowers
Ice dancer and performer, subject of the episode
Episode: Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds

Hosts

Jasmine Dottie Waller
Host of Last Word (BBC Radio 4 obituary programme)
Keelin Carew
Host of the programme

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 328 ratings
  • Great Programme

    Informative biographical details, well presented. People are dying to get onto this programme!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Teac 2021
    Australia7 months ago
  • Always something to absorb

    Really - my music collection has expanded thanks to this podcast- I never expected that.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    paulsplanet
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • 😭😭😭😭😭😭

    Techno blade now please 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    hgjfvghjhfjgfghjgfhfjhg
    United States4 years ago
  • Death loses its sting!

    The range of people is excellent and interesting: a good listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Grandmatriarch
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • It’s 2022

    In 2022 why dose Matthew Bannister think it’s ok to say “ taken the Micky “ dose he not know that it’s an anti Irish saying from the last century?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kelly
    United Kingdom5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the biographical depth and compassionate tone.
A few critical comments note occasional pacing or brevity in some episodes.
Quality of guests and stories is consistently engaging for fans of obituary-forward storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bill Dare, Clint Hill, Valérie André, Gene Hackman
Q: What was it like to make that journey back to Dallas?
Clint found that revisiting the site allowed him to come to terms with his past and acknowledged that he did everything he could that day.
Bill Dare, Clint Hill, Valérie André, Gene Hackman
Q: Did you blame yourself for the president's death?
Clint felt he should have done more to prevent the assassination, despite his recognition of doing all he could at the time.
John Boyega on campaigner Richard Taylor, father of Damilola Taylor
Q: Do you ever imagine what sort of life he might be living now if he hadn't been killed that night?
I think that Damilola would have been right there if not more.
John Boyega on campaigner Richard Taylor, father of Damilola Taylor
Q: And how will you remember Richard Taylor?
I will definitely remember Richard Taylor as a pioneer of something great in a small community, for using his tragic loss to influence and push young people in a great direction.
John Boyega on campaigner Richard Taylor, father of Damilola Taylor
Q: What was your impression of Richard Taylor when he launched that campaign and his determination to create something positive out of such an appalling personal tragedy?
It was definitely inspirational to me because a lot of us at the time was looking for a way out.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Last Word

What is Last Word about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Obituary-focused conversations span politics, medicine, science, culture, and the arts, using memories, expert recollections, and archival material to paint multi-faceted portraits of recently deceased figures. Episodes highlight reformist leadership, medical breakthroughs, cultural icons, and public service, weaving personal anecdotes with professional legacies. The approach tends to blend reverence with critical context, often featuring tributes from colleagues, historians, and family, making it informative, human, and curious for listeners who enjoy biographies, historical context, and cross-disciplinary storytelling.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Last Word. 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 Last Word and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Last Word get?

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What are the audience demographics for Last Word?

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How many subscribers and views does Last Word have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Last Word 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 Last Word?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Last Word:

1. Great Lives
2. Private Passions
3. This Cultural Life
4. Desert Island Discs
5. From Our Own Correspondent

How many episodes of Last Word are there?

Last Word launched 16 years ago and published 582 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 Last Word?

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 Last Word?

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What guests have appeared on Last Word?

Recent guests on Last Word include:

1. Emily Eavis
2. Pat Easterling
3. Mary Beard
4. Deirdre McSharry
5. Dr. Robert Wynn
6. Gunther von Hagens
7. Juliet Gardiner
8. Bill Oddie

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.

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