Last Word

By BBC Radio 4Society & Culture Documentary Personal Journals

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Typical duration
28 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Last Word episodes

October 17, 2025 Peter Gurney, Diane Keaton, Peter Hall, Angela Bond
Matthew Bannister on
Peter Gurney, the George Medal winning bomb disposal expert who regularly risked his life to defuse explosive devices, including the mortars that were fired at 10 Downing Street by the IRA in 1991.
Diane Keaton, the actor best known for her collaboration with Woody Allen in Annie Hall and Manhattan.
Peter Hall, the pioneering English winemaker from Sussex who turned his Breaky Bottom grapes into acclaimed sparkling wines.
Angela Bond, who saved the much-loved Bush Theatre in West London from closure. The director Josie Rourke and the writer Jack Thorne pay tribute.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Archive used:
BBC News, BBC, 07/02/1991; Newsnight, BBC, 26/10/1981; It’s My Story: The Long Walk, BBC Radio 4, 26/03/2012; The Food Programme: A Vintage Year for Homegrown Wine, BBC Radio 4, 22/11/2018; Food and Drink, BBC, 10/08/1982; Annie Hall, MGM, 1977; Cast: Diane Keaton; Director: Woody Allen; Producers: Fred T. Gallo, Robert Greenhut, Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe; Screenwriters: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 15/11/2011; Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 19/06/2017; Diane Keaton – Seems Like Old Times, Columbia Pictures, 1980
28 min
October 10, 2025 Patrick Bradley, Dame Jilly Cooper, Sara Jane Moore, Dame Patricia Routledge
Matthew Bannister on
Patrick Bradley, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles.
Dame Jilly Cooper, the best-selling author of the racy “Rutshire Chronicles”.
Sara Jane Moore, the political extremist who tried to assassinate US President Gerald Ford.
Dame Patricia Routledge, the actor best known for her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket in the TV comedy Keeping Up Appearances.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive:
With Bennett: Patricia Routledge, BBC Radio Ulster FM, 01/05/2004; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 13/08/1999; Rivals, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Plus UK / Happy Prince, 25/09/2024; Mark Lawson Talks to Jilly Cooper, BBC4, 19/09/2006; In My Own Words: Jilly Cooper, BBC One, 30/09/2024; Hay Festival, BBC Arts, 31/08/2018; Riders, Anglia Films, ITV, 1993 (writer: Jilly Cooper, Charlotte Bingham, Terence Brady; dir: Gabrielle Beaumont), LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE, BBC One Scotland, 19/05/1989; Gerald Ford assassination attempt, YouTube; New Voices (RU) 2015/16: Time of Our Lives (Ep. 38), BBC Radio Ulster FM, 31/01/2016
28 min
October 03, 2025 Dame Jane Goodall, Tony Harrison, Lord Menzies Campbell, Danny Thompson
Matthew Bannister on
Dame Jane Goodall, the primatologist and environmental campaigner who changed our understanding of animal behaviour. Chris Packham pays tribute.
Tony Harrison, the Yorkshire born poet who took his writing to new audiences through theatre and TV. Michael Rosen assesses his work.
Lord Menzies Campbell, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Danny Thompson, the upright bass player who blended folk and jazz and worked with musicians ranging from Kate Bush, Paul Weller to John Martyn and Donovan - who shares his memories.
Interviewee: Chris Packham
Interviewee: Professor Ben Garrod
Interviewee: Michael Rosen
Interviewee: Magnus Linklater
Interviewee: Donovan
Interviewee: Jacqui McShee
Interviewee: Martin Simpson
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Archive used:
Tony Harrison, Meriden, BBC World Service, 21/10/1992; The Mysteries, Cottesloe Theatre, The National Theatre, Channel 4 Television, Directed by Bill Bryden, Writer Tony Harrison,,1985; V by Tony Harrison reads short extract from the poem 'V'. BBC Radio 4, 21/01/2013; Menzies Campbell Elected Leader Of The Liberal Democrats, BBC News, 02/03/06; Menzies Campbell, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 17/10/2004; Menzies Campbell, Iraq War, BBC News, 24/02/2009; Danny Thompson plays bass, extract from, Pentangle - Blue Monk, Songs From The Two Brewers, ITV, Danny Thompson YouTube Channel, 08/05/1970;
28 min
September 26, 2025 Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, John Stapleton, Mary Elizabeth Dodd, Claudia Cardinale
Matthew Bannister on
Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect who designed the international terminal at London’s Waterloo Station and the Eden Project.
John Stapleton, the TV presenter who fronted Watchdog with his wife and ITV’s breakfast and daytime shows. His friend Greg Dyke pays tribute.
Mary Elizabeth Dodd, the physiotherapist who pioneered new treatments for cystic fibrosis.
And the glamorous Italian film star Claudia Cardinale who was a muse for the directors Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti.
Interviewee: Andrew Whalley
Interviewee: Greg Dyke
Interviewee: Professor Kevin Webb
Interviewee: Rita Di Santo
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
The Late Show, BBC Television 01/02/1989 ; The Eden Project, BBC News 15/03/2001 ; Desert Island Discs – Nicholas Grimshaw , BBC radio 4 , 14/12/2003; John Stapleton in conversation , BBC Radio Wales 01/11/2013; John Stapleton, Argentina report; Newsnight, BBC Two, 13/04/1982 ; John Stapleton , report on Motorways, Nationwide, BBC One, 01/03/1976; The Time The Place, Central Television, ITV, 09/11/1992; John Stapleton, BBC Election 1987, 12/06/1987; Watchdog, BBC One, 11/01/1988 ; John Stapleton report, Panorama, The Class of 81, BBC One, 07/09/1981; Life File , BBC 12/02/1988; The Leopard, director: Luchino Visconti, from the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp 1963; Hardtalk - Claudia Cardinale , BBC 29/11/2011
28 min
September 19, 2025 Robert Redford, Barbara Harvey, Rosa Roisinblit, Stuart Craig
Matthew Bannister on:
Robert Redford, the film star who believed his striking good looks could be a curse as well as a blessing.
Barbara Harvey, the mediaeval historian who revealed fascinating details of the lives of the monks of Westminster Abbey.
Rosa Roisinblit, one of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo who finally tracked down the grandson who had been abducted at birth and given up for adoption.
And the Oscar winning film designer Stuart Craig who brought the Harry Potter world to life on the big screen. Director Chris Columbus pays tribute.
Interviewee: Chris Columbus
Interviewee: Michael Feeney Callan
Interviewee: Professor Joanna Innes
Interviewee: Professor John Blair
Interviewee: Amy Booth
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Archive used:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Trailer, 20th Century Studios Youtube Channel, uploaded 18/09/2015; Robert Redford interview, Parkinson, BBC Television, 1980; Barefoot in the Park film trailer, 1967, Paramount movies digital channel uploaded 10/10/2014; All the President's Men - Original Theatrical Trailer, Warner Brothers Rewind YouTube Channel uploaded 09/07/2014; Rosa Roisinblit interview, BBC Newsnight, 04/04/2013; Guillermo Pérez Roisinblit interview, 60 minutes, CBS News Television, 60mins Facebook channel uploaded 28/07/2025; Mother of plaza de mayo report, International Assignment, BBC Radio 4, 04/09/1981; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Official Trailer, Harry Potter YouTube Channel, uploaded 24/09/2023; Stuart Craig interview, The One Show, 05/03/2012; Stuart Craig Interview, The Film Programme, BBC Radio 4, 09/11/2007;
28 min
September 12, 2025 The Duchess of Kent, Giorgio Armani, Valerie Pearlman, Rick Davies
John Wilson on:
The Duchess of Kent, who stepped back from royal duties to teach music in primary schools.
Giorgio Armani whose suit designs help define the look of the 1980s and beyond.
Valerie Pearlman who made legal history by being the first judge in the UK finish a trial via fax machine and video link from her hospital bed.
Rick Davies, who sold millions of records in the 70s and 80 as one of the two singers in the band Supertramp.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
The Royal Wedding: HRH Duke of Kent and Miss Katharine Worsley in York Minster, BBC, 08/06/1961; Real Story, BBC One, 15/03/2004; Royal Wedding, BBC Archives, 08/06/1961; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 21/12/1990; Ladies’ Singles, 1993 Wimbledon Championships, BBC Archives; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 21/12/1990; BBC Look North Hull, BBC, 06/09/2025; The Clothes Show, BBC; Rick Davies Interview, WLNG 92.1FM, “Lunch on the Deck”; Bark Out Loud Dogs Media, LLC – Supertramp Interview
28 min
September 05, 2025 Joe Bugner, Ann McManus, Angela Mortimer Barrett, Frank Strang
John Wilson on
Joe Bugner, the heavyweight boxer who fought the titans of the sport from Henry Cooper, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier.
Ann McManus, the writer for Coronation Street who went on to be one of the founders of Shed Productions that created hit drama series such as Bad Girls, Footballer Wives and Waterloo Road.
Angela Mortimer Barrett, the multiply Grand Slam winning tennis player – winner of the 1961 Wimbledon women’s singles championship.
And Frank Strang, the entrepreneur who bought a RAF radar station in Shetland and turned it into a space port.
Interviewee: Gareth A Davies
Interviewee: Eileen Gallagher
Interviewee: Debbie Jevans
Interviewee: Chris Jones
Interviewee: Scott Hammond
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
Archive used:
Joe Bugner, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/06/1973; Battle of Britain Heavyweights, Cooper v Bugner, BBC, 16/03/1971; Ali v Bugner, World Championship Fight, BBC, 01/07/1975; Ann McManus interview, BBC Radio 4, Front Row, 08/03/2006; Coronation Street, Hayley tells Roy scene, Coronation Street YouTube channel, uploaded 07/02/2015; Bad Girls, Season 1 Episode 1 - Trailer, Bad Girls YouTube Channel, uploaded 18/06/2019; Bad Girls, ITV Promo, 1999; Angela Mortimer interview, 1961, BBC; Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship, BBC Radio, 1961; Frank Strang interview, BBC Radio Shetland, 17/07/2025; Frank Strang interview; Frank Strang obituary, BBC Radio Shetland, 13/08/2025;
28 min
August 29, 2025 David Richardson, Doris Lockhart Saatchi, Dame Annette Brooke, Byron Rogers
John Wilson on:
Broadcaster David Richardson who was for over 60 years a leading voice in the farming community
Doris Lockhart Saatchi, the Art collector who along with her former husband Charles Saatchi transformed the UK art scene in the 80s and 90s
Dame Annette Brooke who for 14 years was the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole
Byron Rogers, the biographer and journalist who sought out and chronicled the lives of many eccentric characters
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive;
BBC News, BBC, 02/07/2014; BBC News, BBC, 12/05/2013; BBC News, BBC, 05/04/2008; BBC News, BBC, 14/09/2008; Late Again, BBC Two, 14/03/1992; BBC News Ten, BBC, 07/10/2008; On Your Farm: A New Dawn for British Farming?, BBC, 24/07/2016; The Food Programme, BBC, 04/06/1976; Farming Today, BBC, 21/08/2025; Farming, BBC, 21/08/1977; The Last Human Cannonball (Episode 5), BBC Radio 4 Extra, 28/11/2009; Sara’s People, BBC Radio Wales, 01/01/2004
28 min
August 22, 2025 Terence Stamp, Stephanie Shirley, Kay Dunbar, Eric Midwinter
John Wilson on:
Actor Terence Stamp, the Oscar nominated 60s screen icon who went onto play many villains in his later film career
Baroness Stephanie Shirley, the pioneering computer scientist and founder of her own software company
Kay Dunbar who founded the Ways with Words literary festival which ran in Devon for 30 years
Eric Midwinter was one of the three co-founders of u3a to encourage continued learning in retirement
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
Desert Island Discs, BBC, 12/03/2006; Billy Budd, Rank Film Distributors, 1962; Superman II, Warner Bros, 1980; Far from the Madding Crowd, Warner-Pathe Distributors, 1967; Front Row, BBC, 16/05/2013; Morning Live, BBC, 08/03/2022; HARDtalk, BBC, 07/03/2000; Spotlight, BBC News Plymouth, 11/07/2023; Spotlight, BBC News Plymouth, 02/09/1996; Archive on 4: Kindertransport, BBC, 09/2015; Lifespan, AS Choices, 16/08/1987; Armchair Discussions with u3a, u3a UK, n.d.; You and Yours, BBC, 12/12/2016
28 min
August 15, 2025 Jim Lovell, Biddy Baxter, Razia Jan, Iris Williams
Matthew Bannister on
Jim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.
Biddy Baxter, the editor who left an indelible stamp on the children’s TV show Blue Peter. Sarah Greene pays tribute.
Razia Jan, the Afghan/American who founded a school for girls in Afghanistan after 9/11.
Iris Williams, the Welsh born singer whose career took off after an appearance on Radio 2.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Archive used:
The Festival of Politics, The Scottish Parliament, 2009; Jim Lovell on Apollo 13 Mission, permission granted by NASA Media Team; 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle – Apollo 13: Bonus 1. Jim Lovell, 14/04/2020; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 06/06/2014; Blue Peter, BBC One, 18/11/1963; The Things We Forgot to Remember, BBC Radio 4, 30/05/2005
28 min