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Great Lives Episodes

  1.

    Len Goodman on Lionel Bart

    Len Goodman champions Lionel Bart, the man who created the musical Oliver, as his hero.

  2. Akram Khan on Srinivasa Ramanujan

    One of the UK's leading choreographers nominates the Indian mathematician Ramanujan.

  3. Suzannah Lipscomb on CS Lewis

    CS Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles, chosen by historian Suzannah Lipscomb.

  4. Ruth Holdaway on Helen Rollason

    Ruth Holdaway picks the sports broadcaster Helen Rollason as her great life.

  5. Orlando Murrin on Dinu Lipatti

    Matthew Parris invites Orlando Murrin to discuss the life of Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti

  6. Sir Ben Kingsley on Elie Wiesel

    Sir Ben Kingsley champions the life of holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel as his great life.

  7. Cary Grant

    Lucy Porter, the comedian and writer, champions Cary Grant as her Great Life

  8. Cyrus Todiwala on Dadabhai Naoroji

    Cyrus Todiwala picks Dadabhai Naoroji who in 1892 became Britain's first Asian MP.

  9. AA Gill on Arthur Neville Chamberlain

    AA Gill nominates Arthur Neville Chamberlain as his great life.

  10. Eliza Carthy on Caroline Norton

    Eliza Carthy chooses Caroline Norton who campaigned for women in the 19th-century.

  11. Maureen Lipman on Dame Cicely Saunders

    Maureen Lipman champions the life of hospice campaigner Dame Cicely Saunders.

  12. Tony Hawks on Marshall Rosenberg

    The life of the creator of nonviolent communication Marshall Rosenber, with Matthew Parris

  13. Dag Hammarskjold

    Matthew Parris on the life and death of Dag Hammarskjold

  14. Sara Pascoe on Virginia Woolf

    Sara Pascoe champions Virginia Woolf, author of 'Mrs Dalloway' and 'A Room of One's Own'.

  15. Alex Salmond on Thomas Muir

    Alex Salmond chooses Thomas Muir, whom he describes as the father of Scottish democracy.

  16. Hilary Devey on Gracie Fields

    The life of Dame Gracie Fields is championed by Hilary Devey. From 2016.

  17. Frank Turner on Joseph Grimaldi

    Frank Turner chooses Joseph Grimaldi who changed the face of Clowning forever.

  18. George Fox

    George Fox, founder of the Quakers, nominated by Ann Limb

  19. Charles Moore on Gordon Hamilton-Fairley

    Cancer pioneer Gordon Hamilton-Fairley, killed by an IRA bomb when he was just 45.

  20. Richard the Lionheart

    Timmy Mallett chooses Richard the Lionheart. With Helen Castor and Matthew Parris.

  21. Graeme Lamb on Christine Granville

    Lt-Gen Sir Graeme Lamb champions wartime spy Christine Granville. Matthew Parris chairs

  22. Sudha Bhuchar chooses the life of Zohra Sehgal

    Playwright and actress Sudha Bhuchar nominates the life of actor Zohra Sehgal.

  23. Ray Peacock chooses the life of Lenny Bruce

    Comedian Ray Peacock nominates the controversial life of Lenny Bruce.

  24. Nancy Dell'Olio chooses the life of Lucrezia Borgia

    Nancy Dell'Olio champions the much maligned Lucrezia Borgia.

  25. Alfred Hitchcock

    Anthony Horowitz champions the life of Alfred Hitchcock.

  26. Eliza Manningham-Buller chooses Abraham Lincoln

    Eliza Manningham-Buller on why she regards Abraham Lincoln as a great life.

  27. Nitin Sawhney on Jeff Buckley

    Nitin Sawhney champions the life of American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley

  28. Susan Calman on Molly Weir

    Comedian Susan Calman chooses the life of actress Molly Weir.

  29. Martin Jennings on Charles Sargeant Jagger

    Martin Jennings nominates the British sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger.

  30. Precious Lunga chooses Wangari Maathai

    Matthew Parris explores the remarkable life of Professor Wangari Maathai.

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