Podcasts I listen to #03: Desert Island Discs

The marvellous thing about podcasts is the diversity from shows that are put together by someone in their back bedroom to ones that are produced by big corporations like the BBC here in the UK. And then there is the fact that you can listen to podcasts from anywhere in the world.

Now, I’ve chosen ‘Desert Island Discs’ because it fits the format really well. It is a radio programme that you can listen to in its entirety. The podcast only has short fragments of the 8 pieces of music chosen by each guest because of licensing rules. So, it may seem a bit odd to listen to the podcast version, but this programme really isn’t about the music. It’s about the guests. It’s been running since 1942, and in that time has had only 4 hosts.

It works on the premise that the guest has been stranded on a desert island and has managed to keep 8 discs to amuse themselves, plus a luxury and a book. But that is just the framework which the current host, Kirsty Young, uses to dig into the lives of the guests and get them speaking frankly about their lives. She is a brilliant interviewer, who can get her guests to open up and answer the most direct of questions.

You can find the podcast here.