Last Word

Matthew Bannister on

The racing driver John Surtees who won world championships on two wheels and four.

Gordon Thomas who wrote best selling books about espionage and religion.

Sir Howard Hodgkin - one of the UK's most admired modern painters.

H. Boyd Woodruff, the microbiologist who isolated life saving antibiotics in soil.

Joni Sledge one of four singing sisters in the disco group Sister Sledge.

Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister on

The human rights lawyer Sir Nigel Rodley. He helped to draft the United Nations Convention Against Torture and became its special rapporteur on the issue.

Pete Overend Watts, the bass player from Mott the Hoople. His platform soled boots were so high that if he fell over on stage he needed a roadie to put him back on his feet again.

Louise Hulton the maternal health expert who worked tirelessly to improve conditions for childbirth around the world.

And Sir Cosmo Haskard, the colourful Governor of the Falkland Islands, who helped to stop the Labour government from handing them to Argentina in the 1960s.

Producer: Neil George.

Julian Worricker on:

The long-serving Labour MP and former minister, Gerald Kaufman

The prolific Dutch illustrator and author Dick Bruna

Cardinal Desmond Connell, who as Archbishop of Dublin presided over the Church's handling of the child abuse scandal

Controversial city mayor Rita Barbera, who ran Valencia in Spain for twenty years

Writer and broadcaster, Frank Delaney, best known for Radio 4 programmes Bookshelf and Word of Mouth.

Producer: Neil George.

Kate Silverton on

Stanley Bard, the enigmatic proprietor of New York's Chelsea Hotel who created a haven for artists, writers and rock stars and presided over one of the greatest experiments in bohemian living in the history of New York

Norma McCorvey, known as Jane Roe, the anonymous plaintiff in the Roe v Wade case by which the US supreme court legalised abortion, who became an unlikely icon for feminism

Michael Ember, the Hungarian émigré who fled his country's uprising to become one of the BBC's most respected radio producers - creating programmes In the Psychiatrist's chair and Stop the Week

And Peter Skellern - the singer, songwriter and pianist who found fame with 'you're a lady' and forged an enduring musical partnership with his colleague and friend Sir Richard Stilgoe.

Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister on

Betty Tebbs who devoted her life to fighting for women's rights and nuclear disarmament.

Sir Peter Mansfield, the Nobel Prize winning physicist who led the development of MRI scanning.

Dame Jennifer Jenkins, chairwoman of the Consumers Association and the National Trust.

Hans Rosling the statistician known for his skill as a communicator who worked to end poverty.

Al Jarreau the versatile singer who won Grammy awards for jazz, pop and R&B.

Matthew Bannister on

The comedy writer Alan Simpson. With his partner Ray Galton, he created classic sitcoms including Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son.

Brunhilde Pomsel who was the secretary to the Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels.

Sir Ken Morrison, the Yorkshireman who built up the family grocery firm to become Britain's fourth largest supermarket chain.

And the Nigerian born novelist Buchi Emecheta who overcame prejudice to follow her passion for writing.

Matthew Bannister on Sir John Hurt, the actor whose outstanding roles included Quentin Crisp, the Elephant Man and Caligula.

Margaret Pereira, the pioneering forensic scientist who was known as "Miss Murder" by the press.

Sir Christopher Bland who chaired LWT, the BBC and BT.

Emma Tennant, the author from an aristocratic background whose work included sequels to classic novels.

And Mary Tyler Moore, the American TV star whose sitcom made her a role model for independent career women.

Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister on

The Labour MP Tam Dalyell who asked the West Lothian Question and pursued Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Belgrano.

Victor Lownes who ran Playboy's clubs in the UK - and lived up to the magazine's lifestyle and values.

Children's author Babette Cole, best known for writing and illustrating Princess Smartypants and The Trouble with Mum.

The Chinese economist and linguistics expert Zhou Youguang who came up with the Pinyin system of turning Chinese characters into Roman letters.

And the actor Gorden Kaye, best known for playing the cafe owner Rene in the comedy series 'Allo 'Allo.

Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister on

Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint who captained the England women's cricket team to victory in the World Cup.

Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the key players in the country's revolution.

Dr. Una Kroll, a tireless campaigner for the ordination of women.

William Peter Blatty who wrote the book and the film "The Exorcist"

And Sir James Mancham, the first President of the Seychelles

Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister on

Lord Snowdon - renowned photographer and Princess Margaret's former husband.

Graham Taylor - the football manager who had success with Watford and Aston Villa, but was lampooned for his performance with England.

Jill Saward, the rape survivor who campaigned for the rights of those who suffer sexual violence.

The singer and songwriter Peter Sarsdedt, best known for the song "Where Do You Go To My Lovely?"

And Clare Hollingworth, the war reporter who broke the story of the Nazi invasion of Poland.

Producer: Neil George.