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Great Lives Episodes

  1.

    Jeremy Deller on The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein

    Turner Prize artist Jeremy Deller chooses The Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

  2. Caroline Criado-Perez on Jane Austen

    The feminist campaigner and writer Caroline Criado-Perez champions the life of Jane Austen

  3. Kirill Gerstein on Ferruccio Busoni

    Kirill Gerstein chooses conductor, composer and virtuoso Ferruccio Busoni

  4. Malcolm Lowry, nominated by Ian McMillan

    As a young man looking for a literary hero, poet Ian McMillan found writer Malcolm Lowry

  5. Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, chosen by Tom Holland

    Tom Holland chooses Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians

  6. Catherine de Medici nominated by Helen Lewis

    Helen Lewis nominates the so-called 'Black Queen' of France, Catherine de Medici.

  7. Shappi Khorsandi on Emma, Lady Hamilton

    Shappi Khorsandi chooses Emma, Lady Hamilton Lord Nelson鈥檚 mistress.

  8. Matt Lucas on Freddie Mercury

    Matt Lucas chooses Freddie Mercury

  9. Rohan Silva on Colin Chapman

    Matthew Parris profiles the inventor of the car that changed the face of Formula One

  10. Suzanne O'Sullivan on Oliver Sacks

    Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks is Suzanne O'Sullivan's hero, she tells Matthew Parris

  11. Nikesh Shukla on the Great Gama

    The Great Gama, the strongest man in the world, championed by author Nikesh Shukla.

  12. Mark Steel on Charlie Chaplin

    Charlie Chaplin wasn鈥檛 funny but a political rebel. Mark Steel nominates him as his hero.

  13. Tim Smit on Humphrey Jennings

    Eden Project founder chooses documentary maker and artist Humphrey Jennings

  14. Russell Kane on Evelyn Waugh

    Comedian Russell Kane nominates novelist Evelyn Waugh, with Ann Pasternak Slater helping

  15. Samira Ahmed on Laura Ingalls Wilder

    Laura Ingalls Wilder: author Tracy Chevalier joins Samira Ahmed

  16. Christina Lamb on Benazir Bhutto

    Christina Lamb, author and journalist nominates Benazir Bhutto as her great life.

  17. Mark Carwardine on Douglas Adams

    Douglas Adams the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  18. Cherie Blair on Dame Rose Heilbron

    Cherie Blair chooses her role mode, England's first woman judge, Rose Heilbron

  19. Greg Jenner on Gene Kelly

    'Horrible Histories' consultant Greg Jenner on his all time favourite - Gene Kelly.

  20. Helen Glover on Alison Hargreaves

    Olympic rower Helen Glover nominates the mountaineer Alison Hargreaves who died on K2.

  21. Patricia Greene on Bess of Hardwick

    Patricia Greene, the actress who plays Jill Archer, nominates Bess of Hardwick as her hero

  22. Simon Evans on JS Mill

    Comedian Simon Evans nominates JS Mill, author of On Liberty.

  23. Erica Wagner on Roald Amundsen

    Matthew Parris on Roald Amundsen, first man to the South Pole.

  24. Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie

    Hanif Kureishi nominates his friend David Bowie as his hero.

  25. Barbara Stocking on Catherine the Great

    Catherine the Great is chosen by Dame Barbara Stocking. Matthew Parris presents.

  26. Suzy Klein on Hedy Lamarr

    Hedy Lamarr, actress, inventor, and the most beautiful woman in the world.

  27. Mica Paris on Josephine Baker

    Soul singer Mica Paris tells Matthew Parris why Josephine Baker is her heroine.

  28. Simon Callow on Orson Welles

    Matthew Parris meets the actor Simon Callow to discuss the life of Orson Welles.

  29. Tej Lalvani on Richard Feynman

    Tej Lalvani nominates the physicist and bongo playing Richard Feynman as his great life.

  30. Laura Serrant on Audre Lorde

    Laura Serrant chooses the poet and activist Audre Lorde. From 2018.

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