Saturday Live

Frenchman Fred Sirieix who's gone from front of house at the crème de la crème of London's restaurants, to fronting TV shows, to now writing a book on his love of Britain.We hear what sort of urge it was that took Shetland raised journalist Jen Stout over to Russia to study, then onto Ukraine to cover the war.Plus, screenwriter and playwright Jeff Young joins us to tell us why he quit his job as a filing clerk to hitchhike to Paris. Two-time Sunday Times bestselling author Candice Brathwaite shares with us her Inheritance Tracks. Presenters: Nikki Bedi & Huw Stephens Producer: Lowri Morgan

Culinary maestro Yotam Ottolenghi, the man who’s transformed the way we think about Middle Eastern flavours, vegetables, and the art of home cooking joins us to chat 'Comfort' food. We welcome Livi Deane, a model and beautician, who’s written a book about living with lifechanging impaired vision and a prosthetic eye, as a result of a rare form of eye cancer. And historian siblings David and Yinka Olusoga join us to discuss their new book 'Black History for Every Day of the Year' and will be share some of their own life story with us All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of comedian, presenter, actor and creator of Keith Lemon, Leigh Francis. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens Producer: Ben Mitchell

Who better to kick-off Saturday Live's return than the historian by day and superstar DJ by night Dan Jones, who chats all things Henry the fifth and lay down a few beats as well. From Ace to Grace, Warren Furman reveals how his life has drastically changed from being homeless, to becoming a Gladiator and now a fully-fledged man of the cloth. And the multi-award-winning folk musician Cara Dillon shares how her love of home and how telling stories through music has helped her connect to family members she never even met. All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of musician, comedian and the lyricist who brought us Matilda the Musical – Tim Minchin. Presenters: Huw Stephens and Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Carol Kirkwood shares the secret behind not only being the UK's favourite weather presenter, but a bestselling author as well - and reveals where her lifelong love of fast cars comes from.The Antipodean singing-comedian Michelle Brasier reveals how she survived a house fire, grieved for the loss of her father and brother to cancer, befriended her scammer...and turned it all on it's head for comedic purposes.Clive and Jo Bailey, the married balloonists who have seen just about everything in their airborne basket, and Olympic torch balloons aside - there's a good chance they'll have been had a hand in pretty much any other hot-air balloon you'll have seen on screen. All that plus...as the Olympics get underway in Paris, we’ll get your blood pumping with the Inheritance Tracks of our double-gold medal-winning boxer Nicola Adams.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay Producer: Ben Mitchell

Welcome to the brightest and boldest of Saturday Lives as fashion-designer Dame Zandra Rhodes arrives. Perhaps as famous as the garments which have adorned the likes of Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury as she is for her neon-pink hair - She has now published her memoir through the prism of 50 of her most precious items.Matt Forde has, I think it’s safe to say, had a tough year health-wise, he’ll explain how he’s still able to see the funny side of life – and take inspiration from Taylor Swift as he heads back out on tour for the first time since his cancer treatment. Anyone who dreams of living on a deserted island needs to hear the story of Simon Parker. His island is in the Bristol Channel, it’s owned by the local council, and it used to be home to Vikings and cholera victims. Simon will tell us why he has chosen to call Flat Home “home”. All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of the musical power couple, Carrie and David Grant. Presenters: Jon Kay and Kiri Pritchard-McLean Producer: Ben Mitchell

A multi tempo show for you today… In ‘allegro’, maverick music programmer, curator, and Head of Classical Music at the Southbank Centre Toks Dada is on a mission to change the face of classical music. We’ll give ‘andante’ to Joseph Cavalli-Price, a pianist and hugely accomplished tenor who embodies the profound power that music can have playing for patients in hospices. Could ‘plucking’ treasures from muddy riverbeds be ‘pizzicato’ or have we overstretched the music vocabulary? Veteran Mudlark Lara Maiklem shares her finds from the last 12 months on the show. And maybe a ‘crescendo’ or two in the Inheritance Tracks of comedian and podcaster Ed Gamble.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay Producer: Ben Mitchell

The author Joanne Harris, who describes herself as ‘test-driver of experimental dream machines who sometimes writes a bit’, grew up living above her grandparents sweetshop and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Chocolat this year.The multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Jack Garratt shot to fame in 2016 and became one of the UK’s brightest new music stars, toured the world, before taking a step back from public life to protect his mental health. And the mighty comedic classicist Natalie Haynes, who continues to turn the ancient world on its head, championing women of the past, returns to the airwaves with the 10th series of her hit Radio 4 podcast Natalie Haynes Stands up for Classics.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of doctor turned bestselling author Adam Kay...and we promise they’re not going to hurt.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens Producer: Ben Mitchell

Rob Rinder…barrister, broadcaster, occasional orchestra conductor, lover of Amazing Hotels, currently on our TVs travelling through Italy with Rylan - and now bestselling author with his latest novel The Suspect.Beer sommelier and one of the best brewers in the UK, Jaega Wise reveals how she went from pop star to hop star to judging at this years BBC Food and Farming Awards. And Martin Sixsmith, former BBC foreign correspondent, adviser to both the Labour government under Tony Blair and Armando Iannucci on The Thick of It! Now the author of two novels, famous for the non-fiction book that became the Oscar nominated film Philomena, and has just released a new work about the Dutch resistance during WWII.All that plus I’ve never had a dream come true until the day that Rachel Stevens chooses her Inheritance Tracks. Luckily, today is that day – the singer will be reaching for the stars to share them with us.

Writer Sebastian Faulks, recently described as ‘a state of the species novelist’, famous for his historical stories, he’s now taking us into the future exploring what it means to be human in new book The Seventh Son.The cautious traveller Sarah Brooks, reveals how her life was changed after a vodka fuelled evening in a dining car on the Trans-Siberian Railway.Punch-lines on the touchline...comedian and football podcaster Maisie Adam has torn herself away from the Euros coverage to join us and tell us about her new tour and her recent job appraisal.Plus the Inheritance Tracks of quizmaster extraordinaire Paul Sinha.Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay Producer: Lowri Morgan

The Journalist and presenter Ashley John-Baptiste, who’s written a very moving memoir about growing up in care. The Lahore born poet Imtiaz Dharker will be appearing on the programme. We’ll be talking about what’s made her identify as a Scottish, Pakistani, Calvinist, Muslim who’s been adopted by India and Wales. Plus, landscape and garden designer Miria Harris who has used her own experience of a medical emergency to design a garden to help others with their recovery. All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of writer and presenter Danny Robins. Presenters: Jon Kay and Nikki Bedi. Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies