Last Word

Matthew Bannister on

Harry Belafonte, the singer and actor who was also a leading civil rights campaigner.

Jerry Springer, whose TV talk show was once voted the worst in history – but was watched by millions around the world.

Valerie Winn, the runner who became the face of a campaign to allow women to compete in top level middle distance races.

Kate Saunders, the novelist, journalist and critic who won the Costa Prize for Children’s Literature for her book Five Children on the Western Front.

Interviewee: Michael Shnayerson

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive used:

Harry Belafonte, Desert Island Discs, BBC Home Service, 06/10/1958; "Sing Your Song": Remembering Harry Belafonte, Who Used His Fame to Help Civil Rights Movement, Democracy Now, YouTube uploaded 26/04/2023; Harry Belafonte interview, Film Night, BBC Archive originally broadcast 15/04/1972; Civil Rights, British Pathe, uploaded YouTube 25/11/2016; Harry Belafonte interview, PBS Newshour, PBC, YouTube uploaded 15/11/2011; Kate Saunders introduction on Have I Got News For You, BBC ONE, 28/09/1990; Jerry Springer , Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 06/11/2009; Jerry Springer resigns from Cincinnati city council in 1974, WCPO, YouTube uploaded 28/04/2016; Jerry’s Final Thought Brings Him To Tears, Jerry Springer Show, YouTube uploaded 21/09/2015; When Paxman met Springer, BBC Newsnight, 26/02/2014;

Matthew Bannister on

Barry Humphries, best known for his comic creations Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. We have tributes from Rob Brydon and John Humphrys.

Len Goodman, who went from working as a welder to international fame as head judge of Strictly Come Dancing.

Professor Elizabeth Murray, a pioneer in the use of digital technology in health care.

And Jah Shaka, dub reggae star, producer and sound system king.

Interviewee: Rob Brydon

Producer: Paul Martin

Archive used:

Matthew Bannister on

Anne Perry, the best-selling crime novelist who committed a murder when she was a teenager.

Dame Mary Quant, the influential fashion designer at the heart of the swinging 60s. Pattie Boyd recalls the coat Mary designed for her wedding to George Harrison.

Jean Argles, who – with her sister - served as a codebreaker during the second world war.

Ahmad Jamal, the jazz pianist and composer whose restrained but intense style inspired Miles Davis. Joe Stilgoe pays tribute.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Interviewee: Joanne Drayton

Archive used:

Matthew Bannister on Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. He devoted his life to campaigning for an international system of justice for the victims of such crimes.

Seymour Fortescue, the banker who pioneered the credit and debit card revolution.

Valerie Elliott, the respected journalist who reported on politics and then rural affairs.

Rachel Pollack, the author and trans activist best known for her award-winning novel Unquenchable Fire and for creating the first mainstream transgender superhero. Her friend Neil Gaiman pays tribute.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Interviewee: Don Ferencz

Archive used:

Matthew Bannister on

Nigel Lawson – Baron Lawson of Blaby, the reforming Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher. He cut income tax, led the campaign of privatisation and paved the way for the Big Bang in the City of London.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, the Ethiopian-born nun acclaimed for her unique musical compositions.

Ken Buchanan, the Scottish boxer who became World Lightweight Champion.

Mary Rayner, the children’s author and illustrator best known for her books about Mr and Mrs Pig and their ten piglets.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Interviewee: Jim Black

Archive used:

Nigel Lawson - Chancellor of Exchequer, Budget statement, House of Commons, BBC News, 13/03/1984; Lord Baker interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 04/04/2023; Nigel Lawson, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 03/12/1989; Nigel Lawson interview, In The Psychiatrist Chair, BBC Radio 4, 01/09/1998; Nigel Lawson interview on Government’s White Paper on Public Expenditure, The World Tonight, BBC Radio 4, 01/11/1979; Margaret Thatcher speech to Conservative Party Conference, BBC News, 14/10/1983; Nigel Lawson comments on his resignation in the House of Commons, BBC News, 31/10/1989; Lord Moore interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 04/04/2023; Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou interview, The Honky Tonk Nun documentary, BBC Radio 4, 18/04/2017; Ken Buchanan interview, Scotland Today, BBC Scotland, 18/09/1971; Ken Buchanan interview, Scottish Sporting Legends, BBC Scotland, 18/10/2002; This Sporting Life – Ken Buchanan, BBC Scotland, 03/04/2023 ; Undisputed: The Life and Times of Ken Buchanan, BBC Scotland, 14/09/2021; Babe, Universal Studios promo, IMDB uploaded 1995.

Matthew Bannister on

Paul O’Grady, who made his name as the drag queen Lily Savage, and went on to become a much-loved TV and radio star.

Gordon Moore, the tech entrepreneur who founded the chip maker Intel and came up with Moore’s law which says that computer processing power doubles every two years.

Vera Selby who challenged sexist prejudice to become the women’s world snooker champion – twice.

And Simon Emmerson who put together two hugely influential bands – the Afro Celt Sound System and the Imagined Village. Eliza Carthy pays tribute.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Interviewee: Zoe Kleinman

Archive clips used:

Matthew Bannister on

Jacqueline Gold CBE – the businesswoman who turned Ann Summers from a couple of seedy sex shops into a multi-million pound high street success.

Lance Reddick, the American actor best known for playing Cedric Daniels in The Wire.

Traute Lafrenz, the last known survivor of the White Rose Group that actively resisted the Nazis in Germany during the second world war.

Lynn Seymour, one of the greatest dramatic ballerinas of the twentieth century.

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Interviewed guest: Kevin O’Hare

Archive clips used:

Matthew Bannister on

The actor and singer Chaim Topol (pictured), best known for his performances in the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

Zandra Flemister, the first African American woman to work as a Secret Service special agent.

The prolific cartoonist Bill Tidy MBE who created the Cloggies and The Fosdyke Saga.

Avis Fawcitt, the Leicestershire music teacher who devoted her life to the Orphean Youth and Concert Orchestra.

Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: John Collinge

Archive clips used: BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs – Chaim Topol 15/10/1983; BBC Radio 4, In The Public Eye 28/12/1967; Batjack Productions/ The Llenroc Productions/ The Mirisch Corporation, Cast A Giant Shadow (1966) film clip; Eon Productions, For Your Eyes Only (1981) film clip; Starling Films/ Famous Films (II)/ Dino De Laurentis Company, Flash Gordon (1980) film clip; The Mirisch Production Company/ Cartier Productions, Fiddler On The Roof (1971); BBC Radio 4, The World This Weekend, South Asian Earthquake 09/10/2005; BBC Radio 4 Extra, The Fosdyke Saga – Tripe War 21/07/2018; BBC Two, One Man’s Week – Bill Tidy 16/04/1975; BBC Radio 4, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue 21/01/1989; Jeremy Oakley personal archive, Avis Fawcitt actuality and music.

Matthew Bannister on

Judith Heumann (pictured), the American disability rights campaigner who led the longest non-violent occupation of a Federal building in US history.

Brian Tufano, the cinematographer who shot films like Quadrophenia, Trainspotting and Billy Elliot.

Sir David Elliott, a key figure in the negotiations that created the European single market.

Elizabeth Foulkes, who helped to define common standards for architects in the UK.

Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: Thomas Shakespeare

Archive clips used: TEDx talks, Judith Heumann - Our fight for disability rights and why we're not done yet 24/04/2018; BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour 06/08/2021; Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, The Power of 504 (1977); StudioCanal/ Working Title Films/ BBC Films, Billy Elliott (2000) trailer; BBC Two Rogue Male 22/09/1976; BBC TV Archive, All in a Day - The Fight 12/11/1973; The Who Films/ Polytel, Quadrophenia (1979) trailer; Channel Four Films/ Figment Films/ The Noel Gay Motion Picture Company, Trainspotting (1996) trailer; Future Films/ MBP (Germany)/ Scala Productions, Last Orders (2001) trailer; BBC TV Archive, The Evacuees 05/03/1975; Screen and Film School, In memory of cinematographer Brian Tufano (February 2023); BBC Sound Archive, Margaret Thatcher speaks on the future of the European community 20/09/1988; DTI, Europe's Open for Business - UK TV advert (1991-92); Nick Foulkes, personal archive interview with Elizabeth Foulkes (2014); British Pathé, New housing to replace demolished village inspected by Nye Bevan (1946).

Kirsty Lang on

The extraordinary Lady Betty Boothroyd (pictured) who went from humble beginnings in a Yorkshire mill town to becoming Westminster’s first female Speaker.

John Motson OBE - the BBC’s voice of football for half a century,

The pioneering New York publisher Marianne Mantell who paved the way for audio books...

And Lithuanian pianist Sulamita Aronovsky who founded London’s International Piano competition.

Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: Julia Langdon

Archive clips used: YouTube/ The Independent, Baroness Betty Boothroyd’s best moments uploaded on 27/02/2023; BBC One, Parkinson 04/11/2000; Central Cinema Company Film, …und abends in die Scala (1958) film clip; BBC News Archive, Betty Boothroyd obituary – clips from speech at House of Commons; Caedmon Recordings, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, A Story and Five Poems – Dylan Thomas TC 1002; Caedmon Recordings, Ezra Pound Reading His Poetry TC 1122; Caedmon Recordings, JRR Tolkein Reads and Sings his The Lord of the Rings TC 1478; Caedmon Recordings, Ernest Hemingway Reading TC 1185; BBC Two, Victoria Derbyshire Show – John Motson interview 06/09/2017; BBC One, Grandstand 07/07/1990; BBC Two, Sunday Grandstand 24/06/1984; ITV News – Bernard Ingham item 24/02/2023; BBC Radio 3, Music Matters 17/06/2019; London International Piano Competition, promotional video from YouTube.