Desert Island Discs

Ash Atalla, producer


Listen Later

Ash Atalla is a television producer whose first hit was the BBC sitcom The Office, starring Ricky Gervais. He followed it up with the IT Crowd, People Just Do Nothing, Big Boys and Stath Lets Flats. His haul of awards from these programmes include six BAFTAs, four Royal Television Society awards, a Golden Globe and an Emmy.

Ash was born in Cairo and when he was six months old he contracted polio. He has been a wheelchair user all his life and believes the challenges he faced in his early life ignited his drive and ambition.

Ash graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in Business Administration and became a stockbroker for an investment bank. It was a fleeting career as he soon realised he wasn’t a natural when it came to numbers. His next stop was the BBC where he eventually joined the comedy department.

Ash produced both series of The Office and, after leaving the BBC, moved on to the award-winning Channel 4 comedy series the IT Crowd and later the BBC’s People Just Do Nothing, the sitcom about a London pirate radio station.

He co-founded the production company Roughcut TV in 2007 and recently produced the six-part drama series Little Disasters, starring Jo Joyner and Diane Kruger.

Ash lives in London.

DISC ONE: Everything She Wants - Wham!

DISC TWO: Enta Omri (“You Are My Life”) - Umm Kulthum
DISC THREE: At Night - Shakedown
DISC FOUR: Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins
DISC FIVE: My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council
DISC SIX: Handbags and Gladrags – Rod Stewart
DISC SEVEN: The Universal - Blur
DISC EIGHT: The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

BOOK CHOICE: Rewire Your Anxious Brain: Stop Overthinking, Find Calm, and Be Present by Nick Trenton

LUXURY ITEM: An Indian restaurant
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Presenter Lauren Laverne

Producer Paula McGinley

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Desert Island DiscsBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

1,457 ratings


More shows like Desert Island Discs

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,732 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,037 Listeners

Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4

Woman's Hour

403 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,513 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,814 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,830 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,075 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,965 Listeners

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2005-2010 by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2005-2010

159 Listeners

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2000-2005 by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2000-2005

71 Listeners

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST by ADAM BUXTON

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

1,222 Listeners

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015 by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015

55 Listeners

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

1,277 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,171 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

757 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

58 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,635 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

113 Listeners

Dish by Cold Glass Productions

Dish

712 Listeners

The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Entertainment

990 Listeners

The Louis Theroux Podcast by Spotify Studios

The Louis Theroux Podcast

590 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

48 Listeners

Brydon & by Rob Brydon | Wondery

Brydon &

80 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

543 Listeners

Desert Island Discs: Archive: 2016-2018 by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs: Archive: 2016-2018

29 Listeners