Last Word

Dr Ittai Gradel, the Danish antiquities dealer who uncovered the theft of hundreds of artefacts from the British Museum. Katie Razzall recalls how he helped her report the story.
Dame Shirley Porter, the Conservative leader of Westminster Council who had a spectacular fall from grace over the 'homes for votes' scandal.
Professor Nigel Dunnett, the horticulturalist and garden designer, known for his ambitious public planting displays at the Olympic Park in East London and the moat of the Tower of London. His friend and fellow gardener Arit Anderson pays tribute.
Maria Nieves Rego, the dancer who took the tango from Argentina to the rest of the world.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Archive:
BBC One, News at Ten, 16/08/2023; BBC Radio 4, Front Row, 11/09/2023; BBC Parliament, House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, 23/10/2023; BBC Radio 4, Shadow World: Thief at the British Museum 31/05/2024; BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs, 28/04/1991; BBC, Radio 4, The Report, 10/05/1996; BBC One, News at Six, 05/07/2004; BBC Radio 4, Costing the Earth: Where Have all our Gardens Gone?, 29/09/2015; The Man from Atlanta, 23/08/1982; Our Last Tango: Official Trailer, Uploaded to YouTube, 31/05/2016

Xia De-hong, inspired her daughter Jung Chang to write the best selling book Wild Swans about her trials and tribulations at the hands of the Chinese government.
Lord Hunt, the meteorologist and former Director General and Chief Executive of the Met Office, who was an expert in turbulence.
Joan Burstein, ran the influential Browns boutique in London’s South Molton Street, backing the careers of many leading designers.
Bill Leader, the recording engineer who captured all the leading performers of the folk revival of the 1960s and 70s.
Presenter: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Ben Mitchell
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Archive:
Tomorrow's World, BBC One,18/11/1965; You and Yours, BBC Radio 4, 27/06/2005; My Life in Seven Charms, with Annoushka Ducas MBE, 27/05/2021; Joan Burstein Browns 50 Testimonial, Browns Fashion (Uploaded to Youtube - 22 Oct 2020); Best of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, BBC Two, Uploaded to Youtube

Matthew Bannister on

Andy Kershaw, the radio DJ who championed world music, traversing the globe to bring new and eclectic sounds to a mainstream audience. For a time he was roadie to Billy Bragg who recalls their life on the road together.

Dame Averil Cameron, the leading historian who re-shaped our understanding of the Byzantine empire. Her friend, Professor Mary Beard, pays tribute.

Dr Judith Rapoport, the child psychiatrist who challenged received wisdom about obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

And the zoologist, author, artist and TV presenter Desmond Morris, best known for his provocative 1967 bestselling book The Naked Ape.
Producer: Catherine Powell
Assisstant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Archive
Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 06/10/69; Michael Parkinson, BBC 1, 07/11/81; The Evolution of The Naked Ape: Archive on 4, BBC Radio 4 18/04/2026; The Likely Lads, BBC 2; The Time of Your Life, BBC 1, 06/08/85; Timewatch: Verdict on the Shroud, BBC 2, 27/07/88; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 11/05/90; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 24/09/95; Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1, 16/03/98; The Hermit Kingdom (North Korea), BBC Radio 3, 28/12/03; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 08/10/04; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/07; Judith Rapoport on Dimensional Research in Mental Illness, YouTube, 25/06/13; "Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia" With Judith Rapoport, M.D., YouTube, 12/09/13; A History of the World in 100 Objects : The Rise of World Faiths (200 - 600 AD) : Hinton St Mary Mosaic, BBC Radio 4, 11/03/21;

Matthew Bannister on
The Indian singer Asha Bhosle who soundtracked countless Bollywood films and collaborated with Boy George, Michael Stipe and Damon Albarn.
Sir Neil Cossons, a leading light in the development of the UK’s museums.
Professor Harold Ellis, the respected surgeon whose long career began at the same time as the foundation of the NHS.
Daphne Selfe, the elegant model who was rediscovered in her seventies and transformed the image of older people in fashion.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Colin Paterson
Archive:
Ironbridge Gorge Museum, BBC News, 01 Jan 1930; Network East, BBC Two, 22 Aug 1987; The Courage to Fail: Nerves of Steel, BBC Two, 02 Nov 1987; Talk of the 80's: Neil Cossons, BBC Two, 21 Dec 1989; Everywoman, BBC World Service, 16 Dec 2002; PM, BBC Radio 4, 02 Jul 2008; Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4, 26 Dec 2009; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 16 May 2013; Evening News, BBC London, 03 Jul 2018

Matthew Bannister on
Sir Craig Reedie, the sports administrator who led London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics and went on to become President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Lord Coe pays tribute.
Bronwen Naish, the musician who devoted her life to promoting the joys of the double bass.
Geoff Yeadon, the world record breaking cave diver from Yorkshire.
And Margareta Magnusson, best known as the author of the book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell
Researcher: Jesse Edwards
Editor: Glyn Tansley
Archive:
Daytime Live, BBC One, 21/01/1988; Edinburgh Festival Fringe, YouTube Upload, Browen Naish, 01/09/2020; Bartholomew, YouTube Upload, Bronwen Naish, 04/09/2020; Wogan, BBC One, 01/07/1985; A Visit with Bronwen Naish, Bass-Talk with Hagen and Heyes, YouTube Upload, 25/02/2024; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 09/01/2018 Conversation Piece, BBC Radio 4, 07/05/1982; Behind the Ears, BBC Radio 3, 15/06/2025; BBC Look North, BBC, June 1983; BBC News, BBC, 06/06/2005; Newsnight, BBC One, 21/07/2016; Mixed Zone interview of Sir Craig Reedie – The ANOC Awards 2022; BBC News, BBC, 06/07/2005; The Daily Politics, BBC 2, 14/01/2003