Desert Island Discs | Who is this weekend’s guest joining Lauren Laverne this week, Lady Rae?

The guest for this week’s episode of Radio 4’s flagship programme, “Desert Island Discs,” has been announced, with Lauren Laverne joined this week by The Right Honorable Lady Rita Rae - lawyer, judge and the current Rector of the University of Glasgow.

Rita grew up in Plains, Airdrie, to the East of Glasgow and was described as a reserved child but earned the nickname ‘The Last Word’ from her parents because of her inclination to express herself when she perceived injustice. She was motivated to pursue a career in law by her maternal grandfather, a respected advocate and anti-fascist from Naples.

Her parents met in a munitions factory in Italy where her mother was employed. Her father, a Scottish bomb disposal expert assisting in the dismantling of munitions after the war, married her mother, and they relocated to Scotland. Rita and her brother faced challenges in acceptance by her Scottish family due to their Catholic background.

In the early stages of her career, Rita navigated the predominantly male legal profession. Despite facing scepticism from a senior colleague who believed women were ‘emotionally unsuitable for court work’, she persevered to prove otherwise. 

She ascended to partnership in her firm at the age of 27 and was admitted to the bar in 1982, joining a small cohort of female advocates in Scotland. Her career trajectory led her to become a Sheriff in 1997 and ultimately a Judge of the Supreme Court in 2014.

In 2021, Rita made history by being elected Rector of the University of Glasgow, marking the first time a working female rector assumed the position in the university’s 570-year history.

What time is “Desert Island Discs” on Radio 4 this weekend?

Lady Rita Rae will be joining Lauren Laverne on “Desert Island Discs” this weekend on Sunday March 3 2024 at 11:15am on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds