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IF THERE’S ONE thing Kirsty Young has in spades, it’s the ability to draw out even the most reserved of guests.
Getty Images
Getty Images
By creating an environment that invites intimacy and candour, the Desert Island Discs presenter has ultimately helped shape some of the most memorable moments in recent broadcasting history.
Indeed, her exchanges with stand-up comics have made for particularly compelling listening on the long-running Radio 4 programme as high-profile characters – best known for either their joie de vivre or sardonic approach to life – reveal aspects of their personalities and backgrounds few of us have been privy to.
And the best part? No matter how emotional or revealing the conversation becomes, the guests’ innate sense of humour makes for an overwhelmingly enjoyable exchange.
Here are just eight of the most memorable. 1. Jimmy Carr
Whether best known for the delivery of tightly-woven gags or his reliance on well-tailored suits, Jimmy Carr has been in the public eye for just shy of two decades, and rarely deviates from the persona which has won him legions of fans.
However, his appearance on Desert Island Discs in March of last year revealed a side to Jimmy, rarely seen by the press and public.
From grappling with dyslexia and its implications as a child to bearing the brunt of racial slurs on account of his Irish heritage, the much-loved comic shines a light on areas of his life he has rarely discussed since making a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
PA Archive / PA Images
PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images
Sardonic, caustic and cynical on stage, Jack Dee reveals a significantly more sensitive side as he details his route to stardom, with heavy emphasis on surprising pit stops like the possibility of entering priesthood and time spent working in an artificial leg factory.
Having been called ‘thick’ regularly throughout this school days, he also admits to Kirsty that he continues to struggle with any inference as to his intellect in adulthood.
Boisterous, energetic and utterly uninhibited, it would be fair to say that fans of the Cockney comic are fairly confident that they’re getting a 360 view of Micky Flanagan.
Indeed, emphasis on his childhood and rise to fame often punctuate his on-stage material, but his conversation with Kirsty delves even deeper still, and reveals a relatively troubled child who struggled to cope with the chaotic nature of daily life in the east end of London.
From detailing various levels of poverty he experienced growing up in Liverpool to struggling with his new-found celebrity status in recent years, John happily discusses the highs and lows of time in the spotlight.
Juggling life as a family man and funny man, the stand-up is all too aware that nothing lasts forever, and insists that while he loves his career, his childhood has taught him he could survive on much, much less.
Having divided opinion within the comedy circuit since his Edinburgh Festival days, Michael McIntyre discusses the impact continuous criticism had on both his career and family life.
Despite detailing the loss of his father at a young age, the significantly strained relationship he endured with his grandmother in her later years and the implications of the debt he amassed attempting to make a name for himself as a stand-up, Michael maintains the joyful persona his fans know him best for.
Doug Peters / EMPICS Entertainment
Doug Peters / EMPICS Entertainment / EMPICS Entertainment
Whether you love him or hate him, Jack is under no illusion that there are many who fall into the latter camp.
When discussing his private school background, relatively privileged upbringing and unmistakably upper-class accent, the 29-year-old comic admits he did his level best to distance himself from all of the above when carving a career for himself in the spotlight.
Know for his flamboyant approach to, well, pretty much everything, Kirsty coaxes David into a conversation which taps into the deeper side of life.
From public discussion surrounding his sexuality to his innate struggles with loneliness, this conversation, first aired almost a decade ago, go a long way towards revealing the man behind Boris the Babysitter and Desiree DeVere.
Punctuated by his trademark high-pitched squeal, the Reading-native happily engages with all aspects of Kirsty’s line of questioning in this memorable episode.
From discussing his childhood in Berkshire to revealing the moment he became an atheist, Ricky commits to a no-holds-barred conversation with his Scottish host.
PA Archive / PA Images
PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images
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8 of the most memorable conversations with comics on Desert Island Discs
IF THERE’S ONE thing Kirsty Young has in spades, it’s the ability to draw out even the most reserved of guests.
By creating an environment that invites intimacy and candour, the Desert Island Discs presenter has ultimately helped shape some of the most memorable moments in recent broadcasting history.
Indeed, her exchanges with stand-up comics have made for particularly compelling listening on the long-running Radio 4 programme as high-profile characters – best known for either their joie de vivre or sardonic approach to life – reveal aspects of their personalities and backgrounds few of us have been privy to.
And the best part? No matter how emotional or revealing the conversation becomes, the guests’ innate sense of humour makes for an overwhelmingly enjoyable exchange.
Here are just eight of the most memorable.
1. Jimmy Carr
Whether best known for the delivery of tightly-woven gags or his reliance on well-tailored suits, Jimmy Carr has been in the public eye for just shy of two decades, and rarely deviates from the persona which has won him legions of fans.
However, his appearance on Desert Island Discs in March of last year revealed a side to Jimmy, rarely seen by the press and public.
From grappling with dyslexia and its implications as a child to bearing the brunt of racial slurs on account of his Irish heritage, the much-loved comic shines a light on areas of his life he has rarely discussed since making a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
2. Jack Dee
Sardonic, caustic and cynical on stage, Jack Dee reveals a significantly more sensitive side as he details his route to stardom, with heavy emphasis on surprising pit stops like the possibility of entering priesthood and time spent working in an artificial leg factory.
Having been called ‘thick’ regularly throughout this school days, he also admits to Kirsty that he continues to struggle with any inference as to his intellect in adulthood.
3. Micky Flanagan
Boisterous, energetic and utterly uninhibited, it would be fair to say that fans of the Cockney comic are fairly confident that they’re getting a 360 view of Micky Flanagan.
Indeed, emphasis on his childhood and rise to fame often punctuate his on-stage material, but his conversation with Kirsty delves even deeper still, and reveals a relatively troubled child who struggled to cope with the chaotic nature of daily life in the east end of London.
4. John Bishop
From detailing various levels of poverty he experienced growing up in Liverpool to struggling with his new-found celebrity status in recent years, John happily discusses the highs and lows of time in the spotlight.
Juggling life as a family man and funny man, the stand-up is all too aware that nothing lasts forever, and insists that while he loves his career, his childhood has taught him he could survive on much, much less.
5. Michael McIntyre
Having divided opinion within the comedy circuit since his Edinburgh Festival days, Michael McIntyre discusses the impact continuous criticism had on both his career and family life.
Despite detailing the loss of his father at a young age, the significantly strained relationship he endured with his grandmother in her later years and the implications of the debt he amassed attempting to make a name for himself as a stand-up, Michael maintains the joyful persona his fans know him best for.
6. Jack Whitehall
Whether you love him or hate him, Jack is under no illusion that there are many who fall into the latter camp.
When discussing his private school background, relatively privileged upbringing and unmistakably upper-class accent, the 29-year-old comic admits he did his level best to distance himself from all of the above when carving a career for himself in the spotlight.
7. David Walliams
Know for his flamboyant approach to, well, pretty much everything, Kirsty coaxes David into a conversation which taps into the deeper side of life.
From public discussion surrounding his sexuality to his innate struggles with loneliness, this conversation, first aired almost a decade ago, go a long way towards revealing the man behind Boris the Babysitter and Desiree DeVere.
8. Ricky Gervais
Punctuated by his trademark high-pitched squeal, the Reading-native happily engages with all aspects of Kirsty’s line of questioning in this memorable episode.
From discussing his childhood in Berkshire to revealing the moment he became an atheist, Ricky commits to a no-holds-barred conversation with his Scottish host.
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