Desert Island Discs: who is this weekend’s guest with Lauren Laverne and what time is it on Radio 4?

It wouldn’t be a weekend listening to BBC Radio 4 without making time for the long-running, much beloved chat show, Desert Island Discs, as host Lauren Laverne invites her guests to give her explanation as to the reason why they’d bring certain items to the aforementioned desert island. 

Envisioning themselves stranded on a desert island and selecting eight significant audio recordings, originally gramophone records. The chosen pieces become a lens through which guests reflect on their life, with excerpts played during the program. Toward the end, guests pick one recording they hold in the highest regard.

In addition to the audio selections, guests are automatically given the Complete Works of Shakespeare and either the Bible or another suitable religious or philosophical text. They are then prompted to choose a third book to accompany them during their hypothetical isolation. 

A unique aspect of the show involves guests selecting a luxury item for their deserted island. These luxuries must be inanimate and offer no practical help in escaping or communicating with the outside world. Initially, strict rules were enforced by the show's creator, Roy Plomley. 

However, variations emerged over time; for example, Princess Michael of Kent was allowed to choose her pet cat as a luxury, deviating from the inanimate rule. Subsequent presenters, though maintaining the essence of the exercise, have allowed more creative interpretations. John Cleese, for example, was permitted to bring a deceased and stuffed Michael Palin as his chosen luxury

Who is this week’s guest on Desert Island Discs?

Jamie Dornan will be joining Lauren Laverne this weekend to make his choices; Dornan initially gained prominence as a model before entering the world of acting. He worked with several well-known fashion brands and appeared in advertising campaigns for companies such as Calvin Klein, Armani, and Hugo Boss.

His modelling career helped him establish a presence in the fashion industry and became recognised for his striking looks and appeal, but before focusing on acting, Jamie Dornan was a member of the folk band Sons of Jim. The band gained some recognition but the actor eventually shifted his primary focus to acting.

Dornan's acting career took off with his breakthrough role as Sheriff Graham Humbert in the TV series Once Upon a Time, and achieved widespread attention for portraying Paul Spector, a Belfast serial killer in The Fall, and Christian Grey in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels. 

Post-Fifty Shades, Jamie Dornan continued to take on diverse roles. He starred in historical dramas like Anthropoid, where he played a Czech soldier involved in a mission to assassinate a high-ranking Nazi official and in "A Private War,” a biographical drama about war correspondent Marie Colvin. He has recently featured as Elliot Stanley, an Irishman who lost his memory in Australia, in two series of the BBC drama The Tourist.

What time is Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4?

Desert Island Discs airs on BBC Radio 4 at 11.15am on Sunday, January 28 2024, with repeats available on BBC Sounds.