Saturday Live

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein are joined by multi-award-winning dancer and Strictly Head Judge Shirley Ballas. Liam Meredith is a former offender who has turned his life around to become a dairy conservationist, business owner and mentor to young prisoners. Lara Prior-Palmer talks about being the first woman and youngest competitor to win the Mongol Derby, known as the world's longest and hardest endurance horse race. Dave Stewart shares his Inheritance Tracks: Only a Pawn in Their game by Bob Dylan and Liberation by Stewart Lindsey. Shaun Williamson, best known as Barry from EastEnders, explains his love of quizzing and talks about growing up in suburban Kent, his stint in the Navy, and the discovery of a long‐lost son.Shirley Ballas: Behind the Sequins is out now. Lara Prior-Palmer's memoir Rough Magic is out now. Amitié – the new album from Stewart Lindsey is out now. A Matter of Facts by Shaun Williamson is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Marverine Cole are joined by writer and illustrator Cressida Cowell, whose How to Train Your Dragon series has sold 11 million books worldwide in 38 languages and is a major DreamWorks Animation film franchise, she’s also written the Wizard of Once series, the Emily Brown books and is the current Children’s laureate.Rob Halford is lead singer of Grammy Award winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He struggled with his identity and drug and alcohol addiction. He's now sober and out!Jessi Gutch was diagnosed with incurable cancer in February 2019, aged 26. Plans this year to work through her “bucket list” were replaced by shielding in her second floor flat. However, she still managed to explore some of these themes in a short film and she got married. She joins us. Suzanne Bonnar grew up the only black child in a tiny Scottish town. She didn’t know her American father, but she felt connected to him via the US Naval servicemen who were stationed nearby. When the US military permanently withdrew from Loch Hope, she set about trying to find her dad. The story of their reunion was captured by a documentary crew. 25 years later Suzanne feels she has only just recovered from the experience. Lexicographer Susie Dent chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Calypso by John Denver and Me, Myself, I, by Joan Armatrading, and your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones

Alan Davies joins Richard Coles and Marverine Cole. Having spent nearly 20 years on the QI panel, performing sell-out comedy tours and appearing in television sitcoms and dramas, Alan has branched out and written an unflinching memoir about his painful childhood.Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is a former lecturer at Birmingham University and the mother of seven children. The third eldest, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was BBC Young Musician 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The siblings have performed at the 2018 BAFTA ceremony, Britain's Got Talent, The Royal Variety Performance and at major concert halls around the world. How did she do it?Harry Shearer is an American comedian, radio host and actor who is known for his stints on Saturday Night Live, for co-creating and performing in This Is Spinal Tap and for voicing up several characters on The Simpsons, including Mr Burns, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders. He is now using his vocal skills to create an album of songs which Harry performs as Donald Trump.Listener Barbara Butcher contacted Saturday Live to tell us about her grandfather, who died during the First World War at Ypres in 1917. He left behind a beautiful watch which has been in the family for four generations, but when her son had the watch opened up a few years ago, he was surprised by what he discovered…And we have the Inheritance Tracks of food critic and broadcaster Jay Rayner whose latest book Last Supper: One Meal, a Lifetime in the Making is out now and the Jay Rayner Quartet will be live-streaming their gig on Oct 17th. Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Charles Spencer. Charles has a few hats – as Earl Spencer he is the custodian of Althorp house in Northamptonshire; he is the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales; he is the Queen’s godson; but also he is a respected author of history books – his latest tells the events of almost 900 years ago involving a dramatic shipwreck which changed the course of history – the story is, as he describes it, a mash up of Titanic and Game of Thrones with a bit of Sliding Doors thrown in.We also have Sophie Carrigill who is co-captain of Britain’s women’s wheelchair basketball team. A decade ago at the age of 16, Sophie Carrigill was caught in a life-threatening car accident which paralysed her from the waist down, now she has just re-started group training for the 2021 Paralympics. Louis Bird’s dad was record breaking pacific rower Peter Bird, who was attempting another crossing when he disappeared in the middle of the pacific ocean when Louis was 4 years old. Now 28, Louis has looked into his Dad's story, completed a mammoth row himself and made a documentary about coming to terms with his father's death. As a Museum curator Rachel Morris advised museums on how to design exhibitions and make the most of their artefacts. But it was only when she decided to look at the hoard of family letters and random possessions that had been stashed under her own bed that she put together a museum of her own family life story and confronted some painful memories.We have your thank you, and the inheritance tracks of soul superstar Ruby Turner who chooses chooses Aretha Franklin, Don't play that song for me and Gladys Knight, A licence to kill.Producer: Corinna Jones

Richard Coles and Angela Scanlon are joined by TV presenter Richard Osman who has written his first detective novel set in a retirement village. Ian Ridley is a sports writer who has written about the healing power of sport and the solace he found in county cricket following the death of his wife, pioneering sports journalist Vikki Orvice. Bestselling writer Caitlin Moran discusses the unexpected difficulties of middle age life in her new book More Than A Woman. Plus your thank yous and an interview with good Samaritan hot air balloonist Robin Batchelor. And former politician Ed Balls shares his Inheritance Tracks. He chooses 'Dopo notte, atra e funesta' from Handel's Ariodante and 'We Shall Overcome' by Pete Seeger.Producer: Steven Williams

Richard Coles and Angela Scanlon are joined by Nicola Benedetti. The violinist started the year winning her first Grammy and during lockdown she’s been inspiring thousands of people virtually, as well as indulging her passion for cooking. Actor Mark Williams reflects on his extraordinary career, as The Fast Show celebrates over 25 years since its first broadcast. Lucy Chapman's CV includes pop-punk musician, cabaret performer, librarian and now trainee barrister. She talks about her path to law and the impact of a recent ADHD diagnosis. Jonathan Slaght explains why he's devoting his life to saving the Blakiston’s fish owl.Actor, writer and director Zawe Ashton chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Crazy Love Vol II by Paul Simon and Don’t Touch My Hair by Solange featuring Sampha.Nicola Benedetti’s Elgar album is out now. She is performing at BBC Proms on Thursday 3rd September, at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on the 4th September, and has an online Philharmonia Session on Thursday 17 September 2020.At 9pm tonight UKTV will be airing a two-hour special to celebrate The Fast Show.Zawe Ashton's book Character Breakdown is out now.Owls of the Eastern Ice - A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl by Jonathan Slaght, is out now.Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Richard Hooper

Richard Coles and Michelle Ackerley are joined by writer Joanne Harris; broadcaster Peter Snow; wildlife journalist and wasp expert Ben Aldiss and chef Joshna Maharaj.Born in Barnsley, writer Joanne Harris MBE was a teacher for 15 years during which time three of her novels were published including Chocolat in 1999 which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliet Binoche. Since then, she has written 15 more novels, two novellas, two collections of short stories, a Dr Who novella, guest episodes for the game Zombies Run, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks. She is guest director of this year's Yorkshire Festival of Story and her new book Orfeia is out in September. You can find more information about the festival via yorkshirefestivalofstory.comMost of us get as far away as possible when we spot a wasp, but Ben Aldiss does just the opposite. A wildlife journalist and teacher who was known as Dr Wasp by his students, Ben studied wasps for his doctorate and is an expert in their behaviour and what provokes them to sting. He joins us to discuss some of the myths people believe about the insects, how to avoid getting stung, and some of his own experiences working closely with them.Joshna Maharaj is a chef who lost her sense of smell about six years ago. She talks about the devastating effect of anosmia, how she coped with her loss in the kitchen environment and why she kept it a secret for many years. She is now undergoing smell training to help her regain her lost sense and talks about her olfactory experiments and how smell is directly connected to memory and emotion. Take Back the Tray by Joshna Maharaj is out now.There isn’t much ground that broadcaster, journalist and historian Peter Snow hasn’t covered in his career: the first presenter of Newsnight when it launched in 1980, and the face of the election swingometer - he’s since moved on to making documentaries with his son, Dan, and now, writing books with his wife, Canadian journalist Ann MacMillan. He joins us to chat about their new book which uses 50 documents to illustrate global history. He also reminisces about his career as a journalist, surviving a plane crash and the story of his unwitting audition for the role of James Bond. Treasures of World History: The Story of Civilisation Told Through the 50 Most Important Documents by Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan is out now.Writer Matt Haig chooses his Inheritance Tracks: Don't You Want Me by the Human League and It's Quiet Uptown from the Hamilton soundtrack. And there's a thank you to a stranger who saved a dog's life.Producer: Paula McGinley Editor: Eleanor Garland.

Richard Coles and Michelle Ackerley are joined by Bob Harris. He has been whispering on our airwaves for 50 years: starting at Radio 1 and going to TV’s Whistle Test, Radio Luxembourg, Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, numerous local radio stations, back to Radios 1, 2 and 6 Music… all the time touring with musicians, interviewing them and listening to them – his passion for introducing music to the masses earning him numerous awards, and an OBE. We'll also speak to Alice Dearing. She is one of the most successful young British swimmers in Britain, usually found competing in open water marathon events around Europe, but for much of lockdown she has not been able to swim. This meant she had time to focus on her activism, promoting access to swimming for black people and busting myths about swimming.When she was a child, SL listener Janet Haite’s grandmother would unroll her stockings to show off her tattoos which covered most of her body. Janet’s grandparents were pioneers in the tattooing world and her grandfather, George Burchett, not only inked soldiers going off to fight in the First and Second World Wars but also European royalty. She'll share her memories.And we'll have Mark Lane in the studio. Mark had a serious car accident which left him in considerable pain and unable to continue in his PR career. Getting out into the garden led him to pursue horticulture qualifications and to a successful and rewarding second career as a garden designer and the first presenter on Gardener’s World in a wheelchair.Fay Ripley chooses her Inheritance Tracks: Streisand/ Garland, Happy days are here again/ Get Happy and Nicky Mulvey, Fever to the Form. And we have your thank you.Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Eleanor Garland

Jackie Kay is the national poet of Scotland and has taken her Makar duties seriously. She has written a weekly poem during lockdown, brought art into people’s homes with the broadcast Makar to Makar and written about the Black Lives Matter protests. She joins Richard Coles and Bridgitte Tetteh to discuss the timely reissue of her play The Lamplighter which follows five characters who are sold into the British slave trade.Emily Kolltveit was the lead singer of a goth metal band for nearly a decade before she joined the priesthood. Her tour schedule saw her perform in beautiful churches around Europe, awakening an interest in God. Emily has started her new role at a church in Primrose Hill, London where she wants to spread the message of social justice.Personal trainer Ben Mudge has always lived with the threat of a deadly lung infection, having grown up with Cystic Fibrosis. Despite this, he has been the cover model for Men’s Fitness magazine and, because he looks remarkably like the Marvel character Thor, he dresses up to inspire children and other people with Cystic Fibrosis.Writer and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi founded the drag troupe Denim, whilst studying at Cambridge. Amrou recently won the Somerset Maugham Award for young writers for their memoir Life as a Unicorn which describes their transformation from a god-fearing Muslim boy to a drag queen, strutting the stage in seven-inch heels and saying the things nobody else dares to.And we have the Inheritance Tracks of singer and ex-Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Eleanor Garland

Richard Coles and Bridgitte Tetteh are joined by Danielle de Niese who became the youngest ever winner of the Australian TV programme Young Talent Time at the age of 9. Her family relocated to Los Angeles, where Danielle made her professional operatic debut at the age of 15 with the Los Angeles Opera. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera at 19 and now performs around the world. She will host the TV coverage of the Proms 2020 later this summer.Loyd Grossman claims he hasn’t had a career, he’s got a CV. It’s an extensive one; he was the presenter of TV programmes Through the Keyhole and the original MasterChef, he has been a punk guitarist, a journalist, a food critic and launched his own successful food line. And he is now a historian, having published a book about American artist Benjamin West in 2015 and now one on the Italian sculptor Bernini.Sally Coulthard was a busy TV producer in London until she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue syndrome in her late 20s. She was forced to move back home to Yorkshire where she fell in love with rural life. Sally, who has her own flock of sheep, has now published a book on how the woolly creatures have shaped the world.Chris Steel was a bouncer in Blackpool when he returned to school to get his GCSEs. Unexpectedly, he fell in love with learning. Chris is about to embark on a PhD in cancer cell biology at Magdalene College, Cambridge.And ballet dancer Deborah Bull shares her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Laura Northedge Editor: Richard Hooper