Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a British radio show on BBC Radio 4 that first aired on January 29, 1942. Broadcaster Roy Plomley created it and presented it for 43 years, until his death in 1985.

Each week a guest, called a castaway on air, chooses eight recordings, one book and one luxury to take to an imaginary desert island. Every castaway is given the complete works of William Shakespeare and the Bible or another religious or philosophical work on top of the chosen book. The luxury must be of no practical use for survival or escape, so a boat or a radio set is not allowed. The show opens and closes with Eric Coates's By the Sleepy Lagoon over the sound of seagulls.

The first episode went out on the BBC Forces Programme during World War II; the show moved to the BBC Home Service and then, in 1967, to BBC Radio 4. Michael Parkinson took over as presenter in 1986, followed by journalist Sue Lawley in 1988, whose guests included Prime Minister John Major. Kirsty Young became the host in 2006, and Lauren Laverne stepped in during 2018 before being named the permanent presenter in July 2019.

Princess Margaret was a castaway in January 1981, choosing Scottish country dance music among her records and a piano as her luxury. In February 2019, a panel of radio industry figures assembled by the Radio Times voted it the greatest radio program of all time. In spring 2024, BBC Radio 4 lengthened the episodes from 45 to 60 minutes.