News
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge. Read more
now playing
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge.
Gil Scott-Heron
Joe Swift on Gil Scott-Heron
Mr Manchester Tony Wilson nominated by Terry Christian
Terry Christian from The Word on Tony Wilson of Factory Records and The Hacienda.
Rob Newman on Franklin D Roosevelt
Comedian Rob Newman nominates one of his heroes, President Franklin D Roosevelt.
Joan Rhodes, strongest woman in the world
Anna Maxwell Martin proposes Joan Rhodes, variety artiste and strongwoman
Judy Garland
Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, picked by Susie Boyt.
Pat Nevin on Johan Cruyff
Pat Nevin picks Johan Cruyff, the Dutch footballer who changed how the game was played.
Holly Walsh on BS Johnson
Holly Walsh picks BS Johnson, fiery sixties novelist
Ravi Shankar, India's famous sitar player
Bobby Seagull picks Ravi Shankar.
Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Educationalist
Sir John Timpson picks Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw.
Rosalind Franklin picked by Kate Bingham, former head of the UK government's vaccine taskforce
Rosalind Franklin, whose work was central to the discovery of DNA.
Romy Gill on poet Amrita Pritam
Chef Romy Gill celebrates a poet whose work was heavily influenced by Partition.
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood nominated by Lesley Garrett
Soprano Lesley Garrett celebrates the life of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking
Cressida Cowell on her hero Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.
Bonnie Greer on the Women of the Morant Bay Rebellion
Bonnie Greer nominates the women of the Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica.
Olia Hercules on Alla Horska, Ukrainian painter
Cookbook author and activist Olia Hercules nominates the Ukrainian painter Alla Horska.
Olivia Laing on Christopher Lloyd, Gardener and Writer
Writer Olivia Laing nominates the gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd.
Noddy Holder on Chuck Berry
Slade frontman Noddy Holder champions the life of rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry.
Bob Harris on Sir Matt Busby, Manchester United manager
Presenter Bob Harris champions Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby.
Minette Batters on Henry Plumb
Matthew Parris is ed by the president of the National Farmers' Union, Minette Batters.
Roger Deakin, wild swimmer and author of Waterlogged
Nick Hayes, author of the Book of Tres, nominates Roger Deakin.
Comedian Chris McCausland on Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain is nominated by comedian Chris McCausland.
Adjoa Andoh on Zora Neale Hurston
Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh chooses the iconic American writer Zora Neale Hurston
Arthur Ashe
Broadcaster Qasa Alom picks his hero Arthur Ashe.
Frederick the Great of Prussia
Frederick the Great, the most surprising king of Prussia.
Matthew Henson, Arctic explorer and pioneer
Matthew Henson, who may have been the first person ever to set foot on the North Pole.
Frank Zappa
John Robins is obsessed by Frank Zappa - here's why
Kofi Annan
Gillian Burke chooses the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations.
Sir Edward Coke, prosecutor of Guy Fawkes
Jesse Norman picks Sir Edward Coke, lawyer and Parliamentarian.
Jon Ronson picks Terry Hall of The Specials
Terry Hall, lead singer of The Specials and Fun Boy Three - includes Lynval Golding
Jake Arnott on John Gay
The satirist and writer of The Beggar's Opera nominated by Jake Arnott. With Ian Hislop.
