Saturday Live

Dame Katherine Grainger won five medals for rowing in five consecutive Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016, including gold in London 2012. She also has a PhD in criminal law and is chair of UK Sport. She joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi to discuss her extraordinary life. Kelly Jones is the frontman of the rock band the Stereophonics. Known for his distinctive gravel-voice, he was born in South Wales and followed his dad into the music industry. He’s just released a solo album Don’t Let the Devil Take Another Day and the recent documentary Don’t Let the Devil Take Another Day follows him through his recovery from throat surgery after which he had to re-learn to sing.Ben Aitken was on the lookout for a budget holiday when he signed up for a five-day coach trip to Scarborough. Through spending time with the often elderly people on the bus, he discovered their fascinating stories and ended up signing up for six coach holidays across the UK which he has written about in his book The Gran Tour.And we hear from Kev who, with help from his support worker Henrietta MacEwen from Buses4Homeless, was given a grant by the Vicar's Relief Fund to help him rent a home. The Vicar's Relief fund is part of the work of St Martin-in-the-Fields does with people who are homeless. To donate to the Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields call 0800 082 82 84 now. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles. And we have the Inheritance Tracks of actor Richard Armitage.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by award winning crime writer Ian Rankin who talks about taking John Rebus out of Edinburgh in his latest novel. Listener Joy France reveals how she became known as the Rapping Granny. Richard Essien's skills as a hip-hop dancer and dazzling illusionist saw him sail to the final of Britain’s Got Talent 2020, using stage persona Magical Bones. Comedian Mark Watson shares his Inheritance Tracks - The Logical Song by Supertramp and In The New Year by The Walkmen. A lifelong dedication to curiosity and problem-solving has led Ella Al-Shamahi not only to a successful career in paleoanthropology, but also in stand-up comedy. The new John Rebus thriller A Song For The Dark Times is out now. Magical Bones will be live in London at the Hippodrome Casino on 13th December. Plus, there will be a UK tour of Black Magic starting in February next year. Mark Watson's latest book Contacts is out now. Ella Al-Shamahi's Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon starts on Saturday 5th December at 6.30pm on Channel 4Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Eleanor Garland

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Mica Paris. Hauled up onstage by Prince, fish 'n' chips with Stevie Wonder and footsie with Whitney Houston, and now EastEnders and a Gospel album. John 'Chickie' Donohue joins us from New York - he travelled more than 8,000 miles into the middle of the Vietnam War, to take his buddies some beers. Listener Liza Frank has been looking into folklore of the British Isles and sometimes beyond, and set her self the challenge of doing a ritual or tradition every day of the year and logging it in her blog. Karenjeet Kaur Bains is accountant by day, and a powerlifter the rest of the time - she is Britain’s first female Sikh powerlifter to represent Britain on the World and European stages. We have the inheritance tracks of writer John Lanchester who chooses JS Bach, Partita no. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825 played by Dinu Lipatti and Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees; and a listener's thank you. Producer: Corinna Jones

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by pub-loving celebrity chef Tom Kerridge who has been awarded two Michelin stars since opening The Hand and Flowers in Marlow. The pub celebrates its 15th anniversary with The Hand and Flowers Cookbook. Since opening the pub Tom has been a fixture of British cooking programmes and has famously lost 12st in weight. He has also turned his attention to the plight of British pubs in lockdown with his new BBC series Saving Britain’s Pubs. Comedian and television presenter Tom Allen is currently offering up an Extra Slice of Bake-Off on Channel 4 and has just published his memoir No Shame which describes the stigma of being ‘an outsider’ as a teenager in 90s suburbia. Naomi Riches was hit by a car while on a night out in London and spent months recovering from a head injury. Just four years later, Naomi would compete at the Beijing Paralympics, earning a Bronze medal for Great Britain. With a dogged determination to always do her best, she would eventually go on to net a Gold medal at London 2012. Julie McDowall went ‘viral’ on Twitter in January 2019 when she told her followers that she has synaesthesia and can ‘taste’ names. She is also an expert in nuclear war.And author Ken Follett shares his Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

Gabriel Byrne joins Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi. The Award-winning actor made his acting debut as a shepherd in a Nativity play and since then has made over 80 films, won a Golden Globe for In Treatment and had a successful stage career. He talks about growing up in Ireland, wanting to be a priest, turning his life around and loving a simple life.Courtney Act talks about her life and career which includes winning Celebrity Big Brother 2018 (UK). The performer also talks about why she's giving a lesson in ‘Kindness’ as part of the Celebrity Supply Teacher series on CBBC. Guitarist Hank Marvin shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line and Allan Holdsworth - Joshua.Listener Matt Flukes was told he has an incurable cancer just ten minutes after his adoption of two children was made official by a judge. He will talk about how he was inspired to write fiction by his experiences of adoption. David Quantick is an Emmy-award winning comedy writer who has worked on Veep, Thick of It, Brass Eye and Spitting Image. But he explains everything might have been very different if he had carried on with his initial career choice in Law. Gabriel Byrne main image credit: Jerome De Perlinghi 1999.Walking With Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne is out now. Courtney’s Act’s lesson is on Thursday 19th November at 10 am on CBBC. Olly and Lilly, the search for a new race is out now Night Train by David Quantick is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Eleanor Garland

Nikki Bedi and Richard Coles are joined by Akram Khan. Winning a disco dance competition as a child encouraged Akram to pursue what he saw as his one talent: dance. Today he is one of the UK’s leading choreographers, has an MBE for services to dance, and tells stories through dance on stages as varied as Sadlers Wells to the 2012 London Olympics stadium. Sarah Beeny has graced our TV screens for the past 20 years as one of the nation’s most loved property experts. She estimates that she’s now been in more than 1,000 homes offering advice on all things remodeling, interior design and extensions. Now, the cameras follow her and her family as they build a house from scratch in Somerset. When Dwayne Fields moved to London from Jamaica aged 6 he wondered where all the trees were. He escaped the city after discovering Epping forest and adventures in nature, becoming the first black Briton to reach the North Pole in 2010. The Scout ambassador and Countryfile contributor is now planning to take 20 disadvantaged youngsters to the Antarctic and has his sights on reaching the South Pole within the next two years. Saturday Live listener Bill Murray's father was the bodyguard and painting companion of Winston Churchill - he contacted us to talk about his memories. Writer Sophie Kinsella chooses her inheritance tracks, Five Hundred Miles by The Seekers and F. Couperin "Les Baricades Mysterieuses" played by Angela Hewitt on Hyperion Records and your "thank you". Producer: Corinna Jones

Sir David Jason turned 80 this year and spent lockdown writing his new book A Del of a Life: Lessons I’ve Learned which describes how, despite beginning his career as an electrician, he went on to play some of the UK's best-loved characters including Granville, Pa Larkin, Detective Inspector Jack Frost, Danger Mouse and, of course, Derek Trotter. He explains to Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi how he achieved the title of Britain’s 4th most hard working actor.Journalist and television presenter Steph McGovern is currently hosting Steph's Packed Lunch on Channel 4, but before that she worked for the BBC as the main business presenter for BBC Breakfast. She describes herself as a hustler, persuading the BBC to take her on after doing work experience and becoming Robert Peston’s producer before moving in front of the camera. Paul Stone (aka ‘My Dog Sighs’) gave up his teaching job to pursue his dream of being an artist. Rejected by every gallery he approached, he returned to his former career resigned to the fact that his dream would never become a reality. His desire to make art never left, and so inspired by graffiti artists (but not wanting to get in trouble with the law), he began secretly painting on discarded items of rubbish and leaving them for people to find. Wendy Mason-Smith was 19 years old when her father decided to sell his newsagent in Hayle, Cornwall and hand build a catamaran to sail his family to Australia. Despite having very little sailing experience and being known for his terrible DIY skills, Wendy, her two younger siblings and parents, set off in the summer of 1976. Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Phillip Schofield who shares his highlights from spending nearly 40 years in television, and talks about coming out as gay- both publicly and privately. Wim Hof, also known as The Ice Man, holds multiple world records including climbing the highest mountains in the world while wearing only shorts. He reveals how the cold was his saviour in tough times and that a traumatic birth made him a man on a mission.When Skepta won his 2016 Mercury prize he thanked his mother. Now Ify Adenuga talks about her life: growing up in Nigeria and protecting her children from youth crime whilst they were growing up in London.Former Footballer and Pundit Jamie Redknapp shares his Inheritance Tracks: Easy by The Commodores and The Notorious B.I.G - Juicy.Sharon D. Clarke MBE is an Olivier Award-winning actor and singer. She talks about her eclectic career, from her first hit “I Wanna Give You Devotion” with Nomad in 1991, to TV roles on Holby City and Doctor Who, and an Olivier Award-winning performance in Caroline, or Change, which she was about to take to Broadway before lockdown happened.Life’s What You Make It by Phillip Schofield is out now. The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof is out now . Endless Fortune by Ify Adenuga is out now. Jumpers for Goalposts: The Making of a Footballer by Jamie Redknapp is out now. Sharon D. Clarke performs in the audio project Written on the Waves which comprises 9 world premières including Lem N Ginge: The Princess of Kakos - released on 5th October.Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Nikki Bedi are joined by Rupert Everett, star of stage and screen with titles such as My Best Friend’s Wedding, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of being Earnest, Shakespeare in Love, St Trinian’s, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and his directorial debut which he also wrote and starred in: The Happy Prince. We also have Charlotte Mensah, the UK’s authority on natural Afro, mixed and curly textured hair. Her journey took her between Ghana and the UK, overcoming some major hurdles, leaving school at 16, finding a community and security in hair dressing to owning her own salon, hair range and a charity to help others.Jasvir Kaur Rababan MBE is a Sikh music therapist and one of the only female rabab players in the world. She talks about her journey from tone-deaf teenager to professional musician, and how picking up her instrument for the first time felt like coming home. And JJ Chalmers joins us. A former Royal Marines commando, Invictus Games medallist, TV presenter, media personality and public speaker, after being severely injured from a bomb blast whilst serving as a Royal Marine in Afghanistan JJ suffered life-changing injuries that led him to a long road of recovery. He’s now swapping his microphone for the glitter ball on Strictly.Writer Bernard Cornwell chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Down to the River to Pray performed by Alison Krauss and Pie Jesu from Fauré’s Requiem performed by Voces8, and we have your Thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

Broadcaster and former MP Michael Portillo joins Suzy Klein and Richard Coles to discuss his new book which celebrates ten years of Great British Railway Journeys. Actor Jude Akuwudike was born in Nigeria and lived there until he was six when a baffling illness lead to his parents, who were studying in London, to bring him to the UK for treatment. Jude recovered but the Civil War prevented his family returning to Nigeria and Jude went on become an actor, training at RADA and having successful career on stage and in film. He is now starring in his first ever Nigerian film, Eyimofe.Listener Helen Lindsay emailed Saturday Live about her father Jack, who was a member of the Communist Party. Helen recently discovered that her father had actually been watched for decades by MI5. Jeff Johns aka “Big Jeff” has been to a gig almost every night of the week for the past 18 years. He is a well-known presence in Bristol and his face is used as the literal stamp of approval in his favourite local venue.And Tori Amos shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland