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Last Word

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Latest episodes

The rise and fall of Jim Bakker: From multi-millionaire televangelist to convicted fraudster

October 23, 2026 · 28 min

American evangelist Jim Bakker built up the multi-million dollar Praise the Lord TV network, but ended up in prison after being convicted of fraud. Often working alongside his wife Tammy Faye, Jim became one of the best-known evangelical…
Margaret Hamilton: the woman who helped put man on the moon

October 16, 2026 · 28 min

Margaret Hamilton was a trailblazer in her field, leading the team who developed the software for Nasa's Apollo missions. This was where the term "software engineering" was first coined. Margaret's work in the 1960s, ultimately enabled the…
Jeffrey Archer: From politics, to page-turners, to prison

October 9, 2026 · 28 min

Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare - Jeffery Archer - was a top sprinter in his 20s, an MP at 29, a multi-million best-selling author and a close confidant of Conservative Prime Ministers, his career came crashing down following unwise…
"A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed" fashion designer Bob Mackie

September 25, 2026 · 28 min

The spectacular designer to the stars Bob Mackie, who created Cher’s notorious “nude illusion” dress. From Diana Ross to Tina Turner and more recently from Miley Cyrus to Sabrina Carpenter, wearing a Bob Mackie creation, most likely…
“A powerful wordsmith and artist” – remembering the playwright and cultural critic Bonnie Greer

September 18, 2026 · 28 min

Playwright and critic Bonnie Greer was a frequent panellist on programmes such as Newsnight and Question Time where she took part in one of its most contentious episodes. Kirsty spoke to Judith Antell who was Bonnie's agent and friend for…

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Gloria Steinem: The journalist and activist who rewrote the rules for women

September 11, 2026 · 28 min

The pioneering feminist leader, Gloria Steinem, moved the dial on critical issues regarding women’s health and reproductive rights as well as equal pay. But, she was first and foremost a journalist who started out, in her words, “as a girl…
Yayoi Kusama: The artist who painted infinity

September 4, 2026 · 28 min

The work of Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama is famed for its use of dots and inspired the likes of Andy Warhol. She was a work of art herself, often photographed wearing a bright orange wig and technicolour clothes covered in her…
Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend

August 28, 2026 · 28 min

Dolly Parton broke the mould for country music over a seven-decade career, winning 10 Grammy awards, selling more than 100 million records worldwide, and writing in excess of 3,000 songs. Born in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, her…
Zhu Rongji: The reformist Chinese Premier who ordered 100 coffins

August 21, 2026 · 28 min

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji spearheaded the explosive growth of the country’s economy in the 1990s. He had been previously removed from the Chinese Communist Party twice after criticising Mao Zedong. But by 1991 was charged with…
William Orbit: The pioneering DJ who reinvented Madonna

August 14, 2026 · 28 min

William Orbit, the pioneering DJ and music producer, through his work with synthesizers and new studio technology he combined electronic dance music with pop, to create chart toppers. He grew up surrounded by classical music. His epiphany…
Rod Liddle: Part-time punk turned professional provocateur

August 7, 2026 · 28 min

Rod Liddle was a columnist and broadcaster who strongly divided opinion. Some saw him as an entertaining satirist, others, a bigot. As a teenager he joined a punk band and studied social psychology at the London School of Economics. He was…
Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds

July 31, 2026 · 28 min

Gunther von Hagens, often known as Dr Death, was a German anatomist who developed a system of plastination to preserve human bodies permanently after death. His aim was to de-mystify anatomy and created the internationally successful “Body…