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Great Lives Episodes

  1.

    Patricia Greene on Bess of Hardwick

    Patricia Greene, the actress who plays Jill Archer, nominates Bess of Hardwick as her hero

  2. Simon Evans on JS Mill

    Comedian Simon Evans nominates JS Mill, author of On Liberty.

  3. Erica Wagner on Roald Amundsen

    Erica Wagner nominates the first man at the South Pole: Roald Amundsen

  4. Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie

    Hanif Kureishi nominates his friend David Bowie as his hero.

  5. Barbara Stocking on Catherine the Great

    Catherine the Great is chosen by Dame Barbara Stocking. Matthew Parris presents.

  6. Suzy Klein on Hedy Lamarr

    Hedy Lamarr, actress, inventor, and the most beautiful woman in the world.

  7. Mica Paris on Josephine Baker

    Soul singer Mica Paris tells Matthew Parris why Josephine Baker is her heroine.

  8. Simon Callow on Orson Welles

    Matthew Parris meets the actor Simon Callow to discuss the life of Orson Welles.

  9. Tej Lalvani on Richard Feynman

    Tej Lalvani nominates the physicist and bongo playing Richard Feynman as his great life.

  10. Laura Serrant on Audre Lorde

    Laura Serrant chooses the poet and activist Audre Lorde. From 2018.

  11. Adrian Utley of Portishead on Miles Davis

    Miles Davis chosen by Adrian Utley of Portishead.

  12. Ayesha Hazarika on Jayaben Desai

    Ayesha Hazarika champions her hero Jayaben Desai who led the Grunwick strike in 1976.

  13. Jim Moir on Captain Beefheart

    Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, chooses the life of Don van Vliet - Captain Beefheart.

  14. Liza Tarbuck on Nikola Tesla

    Liza Tarbuck nominates Nikola Tesla as her great life. Matthew Parris presents.

  15. Justin Marozzi on Herodotus

    Herodotus - father of history or father of lies? Matthew Parris presents.

  16. Gisela Stuart on Joseph Chamberlain

    Gisela Stuart nominates Joseph Chamberlain as her great life.

  17. Hertha Ayrton

    Helen Arney, scientist and geek songstress, nominates pioneer physicist Hertha Ayrton.

  18. Nazir Afzal on Gandhi

    Nazir Afzal chooses Mahatma Gandhi as his great life.

  19. Louise Richardson on Daniel O'Connell

    Louise Richardson nominates Daniel O'Connell, hero of Catholic emancipation in 1829.

  20. Cornelia Parker on Marcel Duchamp

    Marcel Duchamp, father of conceptual art, is fellow artist Cornelia Parker's great life.

  21. Will Gregory on Flann O'Brien

    Goldfrapp's Will Gregory takes the stage to nominate Irish writer Flann O'Brien.

  22. Helena Morrissey on Rachael Heyhoe Flint

    City boss Helena Morrissey champions the life of Rachael Heyhoe Flint as her great life.

  23. Andrea Catherwood on Constance Markievicz

    Constance Markievicz, Irish rebel countess and the first woman elected to Parliament.

  24. Nicholas Stern on Muhammad Ali

    Muhammad Ali is economist Nicholas Stern's great life as he tells Matthew Parris.

  25. Helen Sharman on Elsie Widdowson

    British spacewoman Helen Sharman chooses scientist Elsie Widdowson as her great life.

  26. Tracy Chevalier on Mary Anning

    Novelist Tracy Chevalier chooses the fossil hunter Mary Anning as her great life.

  27. Don McCullin on Norman Lewis

    Don McCullin chooses his old travel companion Norman Lewis for Great Lives.

  28. Sathnam Sanghera on Alexander Gardner

    Writer Sathnam Sanghera nominates adventurer Alexander Gardner

  29. Stephen Fry on PG Wodehouse

    Stephen Fry nominates his hero, PG Wodehouse, who just simply cheers him up.

  30. Maxine Peake on Ellen Wilkinson

    Maxine Peake nominates her working class hero the MP Ellen Wilkinson as her great life.

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