Last Word
Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 531
- Years Active
- 2015 - 2025
Vicky Stone, Penny Chuter, Clifton Wharton Junior, Peter Sinfield
Matthew Bannister on
Vicky Stone, the film maker who travelled to the remotest parts of Africa to make her award winning wildlife documentaries.
Penny Chuter the medal winning rower who became coach of…
Madeleine Riffaud, Chris Topp, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Dr Julian Litten
Matthew Bannister on
Madeleine Riffaud, the French resistance fighter who was tortured by the Gestapo, became a journalist and was embedded with the Vietcong in Vietnam.
Chris Topp, the blacksmith who …
Lord Prescott, Stephanie Collie, Dame Janet Nelson, Frank Auerbach
Matthew Bannister on
Lord Prescott, the working-class lad who became Deputy Prime Minister.
Stephanie Collie, whose costume designs for “Peaky Blinders” and “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” inspire…
Timothy West, Sir John Nott, June Spencer, Nadia Cattouse
Matthew Bannister on the versatile actor Timothy West whose roles ranged from Shakespeare to soap operas. Sir Ian McKellen pays tribute.
Sir John Nott, the Conservative politician who was Defence Secr…
Quincy Jones, Janey Godley, Lyudmila Trut, Dr Paul Stephenson
Matthew Bannister on
Quincy Jones, the music producer, composer and arranger who worked with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson.
Janey Godley, the comedian who used her challenging c…
Dick Pope, Sister Sally Butler, Professor Tim Darvill OBE, Patti McGee
Matthew Bannister on Dick Pope, the cinematographer who worked closely with Director Mike Leigh on films like “Secrets and Lies” and “Mr Turner”. Mike pays tribute. Sister Sally Butler, the American…
Sir Mike Jackson, Lily Ledbetter, Safeya Binzagr, Steve Piotrowski
Matthew Bannister on
General Sir Mike Jackson, the Chief of the General Staff at the time of the Iraq War.
Lily Ledbetter, whose campaign for equal pay led to an Act of Congress.
Safeya Binzagr, the pi…
Alex Salmond, Ethel Kennedy, Ratan Tata, Fleur Adcock
Kirsty Lang on
Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland.
Ethel Kennedy, wife of Robert F Kennedy who went onto become a campaigner for Human Rights.
Ratan Tata, the businessman who led the …
Lord Ouseley, Norman Ackroyd, Lore Segal, Cissy Houston
John Wilson on Lord Ouseley, the co-founder of the anti-racism football campaign ‘Kick it Out’ and former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality.
The landscape artist and printmaker Norman Ackr…
Kris Kristofferson, Camilla Carr, Hassan Nasrallah, Maria Benitez
John Wilson on
Kris Kristofferson, the singer, songwriter and actor who appeared with Barbra Streisand in ‘A Star is Born’
Camilla Carr, the aid worker who along with her partner was kidnapped and hel…
Peter Jay, Ed Johnson, Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, Deborah Roberts
Matthew Bannister on
Peter Jay, who was economics editor at the Times and the BBC and also Britain’s Ambassador to the United States.
Ed Johnson, the CIA agent who played a key role in the Argo operati…
Dr George Berci, Olga Craig, Michaela Mabinty DePrince, Tony Strong
Matthew Bannister on
Dr George Berci, the surgeon who pioneered the use of miniature cameras in operations to minimise cutting and accelerate patients’ recovery times.
Olga Craig, the respected journ…
James Earl Jones, Dr Helen Fisher, Sergio Mendes, Maureen Nicol
Matthew Bannister on James Earl Jones, the versatile actor whose roles ranged from the voice of Darth Vader to Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare. Adrian Lester pays tribute. Dr. Helen Fisher, th…
Claire Lomas, Phil Swern, Countess of Airlie, Geoff Mumford
Matthew Bannister on
Claire Lomas MBE, who was paralysed from the chest down after a riding accident and went on to complete the London Marathon wearing a bionic suit.
Phil Swern, the music producer kn…
Mike Lynch, Nell McCafferty, Ruth Colvin, Sven-Göran Eriksson
Matthew Bannister on Mike Lynch, who was one of the UK’s most successful tech entrepreneurs.
Nell McCafferty, the Irish journalist and feminist campaigner who took part in the “contraceptive train” pr…
Phil Donahue, Countess Diana Phipps Sternberg, Mary Gibby, Toumani Diabaté
Matthew Bannister on American TV host Phil Donahue – pioneer of the daytime talk show.
Countess Diana Phipps Sternberg, the Czech born interior designer who was at the centre of a vibrant social scene…
Susan Wojcicki, Lord Colwyn, Sir Ernest Hall, Mísia
Kirsty Lang on
Susan Wojcicki, the first woman to lead a major company in Silicon Valley.
Lord Colwyn, a jazz loving politician who cared passionately about improving the nation’s teeth.
Sir Ernest Hall…
Lord Fellowes, Professor Helen Whitwell, David Power, Irène Schweizer
Matthew Bannister on
Lord Fellowes, who was private secretary to Queen Elizabeth during the 1990s.
Professor Helen Whitwell, the forensic pathologist who inspired the central character in the TV series…
Edna O’Brien, Sir Kenneth Grange, Ewy Rosqvist, John Mayall
John Wilson on
Edna O’Brien, one of Ireland’s greatest writers. In a career spanning over 60 years she wrote 17 novels and many short stories, plays and essays.
Sir Kenneth Grange, the prolific designe…
Dr Mildred Stahlman, Ray Reardon, Val McIver, Eddie Spence
Matthew Bannister on Dr Mildred Stahlman, the American paediatrician whose discovery helped to improve the outcomes of premature babies around the world.
Ray Reardon, the former miner and police offic…