Last Word

BBC Radio 4
  • 0.0 (0)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

  1. 16 HR AGO

    Ruth Slenczynska, Dame Bridget Ogilvie, Tony Worthington, Russell Tyner KC

    The virtuoso pianist, Ruth Slenczynska was the last living student of Sergei Rachmaninoff. She began performing at the age of four, and was once reputed to be the greatest child prodigy since Mozart. From the Australian outback to the forefront of British science, Dame Bridget Ogilvie was the daughter of sheep farmers who went on to help make the UK a leader in biomedical research. Labour MP, Tony Worthington, survived a violent ambush in Somaliland and played a role in the Northern Ireland peace talks. Crown prosecutor, Russel Tyner KC, was a pioneer in the prosecution of cyber-crime. Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Lowri Morgan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Andrea Kennedy Archive: BBC News, 12/01/2019; BBC, Hunting the Lorry Killers, 03/11/202; BBC, Eureka, 08/01/1997; BBC, Newsnight, 25/10/1999; BBC, Current Account, 16/10/1979; BBC, Reporting Scotland, 11/02/1994; BBC, Newsline, 06/05/1997; BBC, Panorama, 18/03/2003

    28 min

  2. 8 MAY

    Dr Ittai Gradel, Dame Shirley Porter, Professor Nigel Dunnett, María Nieves Rego

    Dr Ittai Gradel, the Danish antiquities dealer who uncovered the theft of hundreds of artefacts from the British Museum. Katie Razzall recalls how he helped her report the story. Dame Shirley Porter, the Conservative leader of Westminster Council who had a spectacular fall from grace over the 'homes for votes' scandal. Professor Nigel Dunnett, the horticulturalist and garden designer, known for his ambitious public planting displays at the Olympic Park in East London and the moat of the Tower of London. His friend and fellow gardener Arit Anderson pays tribute. Maria Nieves Rego, the dancer who took the tango from Argentina to the rest of the world. Presenter: Matthew Bannister Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Andrea Kennedy Archive: BBC One, News at Ten, 16/08/2023; BBC Radio 4, Front Row, 11/09/2023; BBC Parliament, House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, 23/10/2023; BBC Radio 4, Shadow World: Thief at the British Museum 31/05/2024; BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs, 28/04/1991; BBC, Radio 4, The Report, 10/05/1996; BBC One, News at Six, 05/07/2004; BBC Radio 4, Costing the Earth: Where Have all our Gardens Gone?, 29/09/2015; The Man from Atlanta, 23/08/1982; Our Last Tango: Official Trailer, Uploaded to YouTube, 31/05/2016

    28 min

  3. 1 MAY

    Xia De-hong, Lord Hunt of Chesterton, Joan Burstein, Bill Leader

    Xia De-hong, inspired her daughter Jung Chang to write the best selling book Wild Swans about her trials and tribulations at the hands of the Chinese government. Lord Hunt, the meteorologist and former Director General and Chief Executive of the Met Office, who was an expert in turbulence. Joan Burstein, ran the influential Browns boutique in London’s South Molton Street, backing the careers of many leading designers. Bill Leader, the recording engineer who captured all the leading performers of the folk revival of the 1960s and 70s. Presenter: Matthew Bannister Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Andrea Kennedy Archive: Tomorrow's World, BBC One,18/11/1965; You and Yours, BBC Radio 4, 27/06/2005; My Life in Seven Charms, with Annoushka Ducas MBE, 27/05/2021; Joan Burstein Browns 50 Testimonial, Browns Fashion (Uploaded to Youtube - 22 Oct 2020); Best of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, BBC Two, Uploaded to Youtube

    28 min

  4. 24 APR

    Andy Kershaw, Dame Averil Cameron, Dr Judith Rapoport, Desmond Morris

    Matthew Bannister on Andy Kershaw, the radio DJ who championed world music, traversing the globe to bring new and eclectic sounds to a mainstream audience. For a time he was roadie to Billy Bragg who recalls their life on the road together. Dame Averil Cameron, the leading historian who re-shaped our understanding of the Byzantine empire. Her friend, Professor Mary Beard, pays tribute. Dr Judith Rapoport, the child psychiatrist who challenged received wisdom about obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. And the zoologist, author, artist and TV presenter Desmond Morris, best known for his provocative 1967 bestselling book The Naked Ape. Producer: Catherine Powell Assisstant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Andrea Kennedy Archive Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 06/10/69; Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 07/11/81; The Evolution of The Naked Ape: Archive on 4, BBC Radio 4 18/04/2026; The Likely Lads, BBC 2; The Time of Your Life, BBC 1, 06/08/85; Timewatch: Verdict on the Shroud, BBC 2, 27/07/88; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 11/05/90; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 24/09/95; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 16/03/98; The Hermit Kingdom (North Korea), BBC Radio 3, 28/12/03; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 08/10/04; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/07; Judith Rapoport on Dimensional Research in Mental Illness, YouTube, 25/06/13; "Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia" With Judith Rapoport, M.D., YouTube, 12/09/13; A History of the World in 100 Objects : The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD) : Hinton St Mary Mosaic, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/21;

    28 min

  5. 17 APR

    Asha Bhosle, Sir Neil Cossons, Professor Harold Ellis, Daphne Selfe

    Matthew Bannister on The Indian singer Asha Bhosle who soundtracked countless Bollywood films and collaborated with Boy George, Michael Stipe and Damon Albarn. Sir Neil Cossons, a leading light in the development of the UK’s museums. Professor Harold Ellis, the respected surgeon whose long career began at the same time as the foundation of the NHS. Daphne Selfe, the elegant model who was rediscovered in her seventies and transformed the image of older people in fashion. Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Colin Paterson Archive: Ironbridge Gorge Museum, BBC News, 01 Jan 1930; Network East, BBC Two, 22 Aug 1987; The Courage to Fail: Nerves of Steel, BBC Two, 02 Nov 1987; Talk of the 80's: Neil Cossons, BBC Two, 21 Dec 1989; Everywoman, BBC World Service, 16 Dec 2002; PM, BBC Radio 4, 02 Jul 2008; Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 26 Dec 2009; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 16 May 2013; Evening News, BBC London, 03 Jul 2018

    28 min

  6. 10 APR

    Sir Craig Reedie, Bronwen Naish, Geoff Yeadon, Margareta Magnusson

    Matthew Bannister on Sir Craig Reedie, the sports administrator who led London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics and went on to become President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Lord Coe pays tribute. Bronwen Naish, the musician who devoted her life to promoting the joys of the double bass. Geoff Yeadon, the world record breaking cave diver from Yorkshire. And Margareta Magnusson, best known as the author of the book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”. Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley Archive: Daytime Live, BBC One, 21/01/1988; Edinburgh Festival Fringe, YouTube Upload, Browen Naish, 01/09/2020; Bartholomew, YouTube Upload, Bronwen Naish, 04/09/2020; Wogan, BBC One, 01/07/1985; A Visit with Bronwen Naish, Bass-Talk with Hagen and Heyes, YouTube Upload, 25/02/2024; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 09/01/2018 Conversation Piece, BBC Radio 4, 07/05/1982; Behind the Ears, BBC Radio 3, 15/06/2025; BBC Look North, BBC, June 1983; BBC News, BBC, 06/06/2005; Newsnight, BBC One, 21/07/2016; Mixed Zone interview of Sir Craig Reedie – The ANOC Awards 2022; BBC News, BBC, 06/07/2005; The Daily Politics, BBC 2, 14/01/2003

    28 min

  7. 10 APR

    Robert Fox, Mary Rand MBE, Sir Tony Hoare, Biruté Galdikas

    John Wilson on Robert Fox the producer who had a career that spanned theatre, film and television. We have tributes from Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Robert’s brother, the actor Edward Fox. Mary Rand MBE, the first British woman to win an Olympic athletics gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Sir Tony Hoare, one of the world’s leading computer software designers who developed algorithms and languages which have become industry standards. Biruté Galdikas, the primatologist and conservationist whose years of studying orangutans in their natural habitat helped understand and protect the primates. Interviewee: Edward Fox Interviewee: Rupert Everett Interviewee: Colin Firth Interviewee: Wendy Sly Interviewee: Professor Bill Roscoe Interviewee: Professor Erin Vogel Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley Archive used: Another Country movie promo, Another Country Trailer, 1984, director Marek Kanievska, writer Julian Mitchell, Goldcrest Films International,, YouTube Uploaded by Sundance Now, 04/10/2017; Another Country, Queen’s Theatre, directed by Stuart Burge, written by Julian Mitchell, 1982, broadcast on Newsnight, BBC Two, 02/03/1982; Mary Rand at the 1964 Olympics, BBC Sound Archive, commentary by David Coleman, 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 14/01/1964; An Interview with Tony Hoare, ACM 1980 A.M. Turing Award Recipient, Interviewer: Cliff Jones, Newcastle University, 24/11/2015, uploaded to Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) YouTube channel on 25/10/2016; Biruté Galdikas interview, Good Morning, BBC One, 15/02/1995; Biruté Galdikas, Great Apes Documentary, BBC Two, 29/02/1976; Biruté Galdikas interview, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 16/02/1995;

    28 min

  8. 3 APR

    Dame Jenni Murray, Len Deighton, Lynda Hale, Jurgen Habermas

    Matthew Bannister on The Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray. Mark Steel joins us to recall her triumphant debut as a stand-up comedian. Len Deighton who created “anti-James Bond” novels including The Ipcress File, Billion Dollar Brain and Horse Under Water. Lynda Hale, the footballer who battled against sexism to play in the first official England women’s international in 1972. Jurgen Habermas, the German philosopher who came up with the influential concept of “the public sphere”. Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley Archive: Jurgen Habermas interview, YouTube Upload, Davidmeme, 1/02/2007; Jürgen Habermas Interview, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (Georgetown University), 10/2011; Scotland v England, BBC News, 18/11/1972; South Today, BBC, 29/07/2025; South Today, BBC, 18/07/2022; Nationwide, BBC, 17/11/1972; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 19/06/1976 The Lively Arts: Len Deighton, BBC Two, 18/12/1977; The Truth About Len Deighton, BBC Four, 01/08/2007; The Ipcress File, BBC Radio 4, 04/01/2015; Pebble Mill, BBC One, 13/05/1993; South Today, BBC (via TV Ark), 20/10/1983; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 19/01/1987; Comic Relief, BBC, 09/03/2011 BBC News, BBC, 21/12/2006; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 01/10/2020

    28 min
See All (568)

Hosts & Guests

About

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2026
  • Episodes
    568
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Last Word

More From BBC

You Might Also Like