Desert Island Discs

The World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023.
He remembers being dropped off unaccompanied at snooker halls across East London by his father as a young boy and learning to play grown men at adult tables - and beating them.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The cookery writer Delia Smith was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023.
She fell in love with her husband, the editor Michael Wynn-Jones, over a shared love of food and football and recalls how she came to be known for her catchphrase, "Let's be havin' you!"
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The model Kate Moss was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.
Her career began after a chance encounter with a model agent on a flight. She describes attending castings on her own as a teenager, which led to some inappropriate requests. Although unpleasant at the time, she says that they have sharpened her instincts, enabling her to "tell a wrong 'un a mile away".
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2015.
He recalls the moment he bumped into his primary school friend Mick Jagger at Dartford train station in 1961, years after losing touch with him. They bonded over a shared love of American blues, which came to define their own sound. Keith Richards laid down the guitar riff for one of the biggest hits, "Satisfaction", on a tape machine in his sleep.
You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Chaka Khan’s unmistakeable voice and musical versatility have made her one of the most influential musicians of the past six decades, with an estimated 70 million records sold. Whether fronting the band Rufus or performing as a solo artist, she's moved effortlessly between funk, soul, jazz, and pop, creating era-defining hits including I'm Every Woman, Ain't Nobody and I Feel For You.
She grew up in Chicago, in an artistic family where she was surrounded by music. As a teenager, she became involved with the Affro-Arts Theater, where she was given the Yoruba name Chaka, and a political awakening led her to join the Black Panther Party.
By her late teens, she had joined Rufus, whose breakthrough hit Tell Me Something Good launched the band to international success and marked the beginning of her recording career. She has since won 11 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026, been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and collaborated with some of music’s modern greats, including Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and Prince.
Chaka lives on a farm in Georgia, surrounded by family.
DISC ONE: What Is and What Should Never Be - Led Zeppelin
DISC TWO: Good Times - Aretha Franklin
DISC THREE: Tomaas - Miles Davis
DISC FOUR: California - Joni Mitchell
DISC FIVE: Tell Me Something Good - Rufus, Chaka Khan
DISC SIX: A Woman in a Man's World - Chaka Khan
DISC SEVEN: Cool Water - Joni Mitchell (duet with Willie Nelson)
DISC EIGHT: Precious Is Your Name - Richard Smallwood featuring Chaka Khan

BOOK CHOICE: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
LUXURY ITEM: A gigantic sandalwood and oud candle
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Precious Is Your Name - Richard Smallwood featuring Chaka Khan
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Hannah Hufford & Tim Bano
Desert Island Discs has cast away other music legends to the island over the years including Nile Rogers and Cher. Chaka Khan’s records have been chosen by previous castaways including Simon Pegg and David Harewood. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.