Great Lives
Hosted by Matthew Parris and Miles Warde · BBC Radio 4
4.3from 521 ratings
- 418
- Episodes
- 73
- Transcribed
- 521
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2010
- First episode
About Great Lives
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
- Publisher
- BBC Radio 4
- Category
- history · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 7 Sept 2010
- Latest episode
- 2 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
73 of 418 episodes have a transcript.
2 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
Mel Giedroyc on Vera Gedroits
26 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Lea Ypi on Kant
19 Oct 2026
Shaun Keaveny picks Caroline Aherne
Inside a recent episode
Mel Giedroyc on Vera Gedroits
Published 2 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I think that's how it goes. Matthew, probably you're my fifth cousin twice removed as well. I mean, it's quite a sort of distant connection, but we do share the same name. And I sort of think of her as my clanswoman. although she was the daughter of a Lithuanian prince and a German-Russian mum. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on Great Lives
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Mel Giedroyc
- Miranda Seymour
- Lea Ypi
- John Callanan
- Shaun Keaveny
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.2 / 5
- 465 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.8 / 5
- 56 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 85
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 98
Contact Great Lives
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Shows with a similar audience
Questions about Great Lives
Who hosts Great Lives?
Matthew Parris and Miles Warde host the show. Published by BBC Radio 4.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Great Lives take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
73 of 418 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Great Lives?
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