Great Lives Episodes Episode guide
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Cleopatra picked by Kate Williams
Kate Williams picks Cleopatra, queen of ancient Egypt for over 20 years.
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Ade Edmondson on singer Sandy Denny
Ade Edmondson - star of The Young Ones and much more - chooses the singer Sandy Denny.
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Tony Garnett picked by Harry Bradbeer
The director of Fleabag and Killing Eve picks the producer of Kes and Cathy Come Home.
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Peter Cook picked by Jon Harvey aka Count Binface
Comedian Jon Harvey picks Peter Cook as his hero for Great Lives.
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Coco Khan picks Edith Garrud, the jujitsu fighting suffragette
Journalist Coco Khan picks the formidable jujitsu fighting suffragette, Edith Garrud.
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William Gladstone, four-time PM
Trevor Lyttleton picks William Gladstone, Victorian prime minister and tory turned liberal
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Alistair McGowan on HE Bates
Impressionist, poet and comedian Alistair McGowan on author HE Bates
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Beverley Knight on Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock and roll
Beverley Knight picks the great Rosetta Tharpe, gospel singer turned pioneer.
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Daisy Dunn on Marcus Agrippa, ancient Rome's king of cement
Classicist Daisy Dunn picks Marcus Agrippa, right-hand man of the emperor Augustus.
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Dr Sian Williams nominates Anna Freud
Psychoanalyst Anna Freud is the choice of broadcaster and psychologist Dr Sian Williams.
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Pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew nominates Russian composer Nicolai Medtner
Pianist and broadcaster Keelan Carew champions the pianist and composer Nicolai Medtner.
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Comedian Helen Lederer on Joan Rivers
Famous guests pick someone who has inspired their lives.
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John Cooper Clarke on Johnny Green, road manager of The Clash
Famous guests pick someone who has inspired their lives
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Helen Carr picks Christine de Pizan at the Gloucester history festival
Famous guests picks someone who has inspired their lives.
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Alex Wheatle, the Bard of Brixton
Ashley John Baptiste chooses Alex Wheatle, author of the Crongton novels.
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Spitfire pilot Jeffrey Quill picked by astronaut Tim Peake
Famous guests pick someone who has inspired their lives.
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Oliver Postgate
Andrew Davenport, creator of In the Night Garden, chooses Oliver Postgate.
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Sylvia Plath
The writer Sylvia Plath, chosen by Lucy Jones.
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Elizabeth Day on Hatshepsut
Famous guests pick someone they love or admire.
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Comedian Stewart Lee on Derek Bailey
Stewart Lee chooses guitarist Derek Bailey.
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Jock Stein, first British football manager to win the European Cup
Famous guests pick someone they love or admire.
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Benjamin Franklin
Famous guests nominate lives they love or admire - today Benjamin Franklin.
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Miles Jupp on JL Carr, author of A Month in the Country
Famous guests pick a life they love or admire.
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Helen Castor on Richard II
Helen Castor picks Richard II, deposed king of England.
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DJ Deb Grant on John Prine
DJ Deb Grant picks US mailman turned country-folk singer John Prine.
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Sir Seretse Khama, first president of Botswana
Notable guests pick a great life they admire.
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Emily Williamson, co-founder of the RSPB
Notable guests pick someone who has inspired their lives.
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Tina Turner
Famous guests pick someone they are passionate about
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Raymond Blanc on Professor Nicholas Kurti
Raymond Blanc chooses physicist Nicholas Kurti.
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Dervla Murphy, author of the classic Full Tilt
Famous guests pick someone who has inspired their lives
