Saturday Live

“Prankster” hardly does Dom Joly justice. He’s been a diplomat, a linguist, a traveller, a broadcaster, a writer and lots more besides.Walter Iuzzolino is the "Walter" behind Channel 4’s Walter Presents series. A man who probably watches more TV from more countries than anyone else on the planet.Dr Jaqueline Stroud, Professor of Soil Science at Warwick University, likes nothing better than eavesdropping on worms.And we hear the Inheritance Tracks of the actor and star of The Pitt; Noah Wyle.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

Today an adventurer, a chef and a composer.From special forces to chief scout Bear Grylls likes a challenge, his latest being nothing less than a successful re-write of the story of Jesus. Our chef is Chris Roberts, aka Flamebaster, whose key ingredients are food, fire and frightening levels of enthusiasm.And our composer is Liz Lane, the sometime child prodigy, who found her gift for composition suited the sound of brass bands down to the ground.All that, plus the rescue dog from Kampala who needed rescuing a second time by a man in a white van on a roundabout in Saffron Walden - and the Inheritance Tracks of Lesley Joseph. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Powell

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.

Adrian spends the hour in the company of renowned TV producer John Lloyd, the modest genius mind behind such national institutions as Spitting Image, QI and Blackadder. Also on the porgramme, Kala Subbuswamy who saw no reason why a middle-aged woman couldn't start a punk band, so did just that. And Jazz Turner didn't let her disability stop her sailing solo around the British Isles, and now she plans to take on the world. And the Inheritance Tracks of former presenter of BBC Breakfast and Saturday Live, now a consulting psychologist, and still broadcasting, most notably with the Radio 4 series Life Changing, Dr Sian Williams. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Lowri Morgan Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell & Alice McKee Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

On Saturday Live this week, a virtuoso violinist, a singer with a powerful story of motherhood, love and grief, and the woman who made her fortune working out how we shop. Adrian spends the hour in great company with Nigel Kennedy, Jess Mills and the hugely influential Edwina Dunn OBE. Also today, we'll be hearing from a somewhat out of breath Greg James, pedalling his way from Weymouth to Edinburgh for Comic Relief. And we are treated to a special performance by Nigel and his band - Alec Dankworth on double bass and Peter Adams on the cello. This week's Inheritance Tracks comes from Adam Fleming. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Lowri Morgan Assistant Producer: Alice McKee Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley (The live performance in this programme has been shortened for music rights reasons).

We’re in the company of an eminent foreign correspondent, a no less eminent expert in the field of flowers, and the woman who’s built the most beautiful spaces for cancer care. Our journalist is our man in Moscow - our last man in Moscow, really - Steve Rosenberg. Bringing colour, fragrance and joy to our studio is the queen of cut flowers, Sarah Raven.And we’ll all be scattering rose petals at the feet of Dame Laura Lee for all her work leading the cancer support charity Maggies.All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of the comedian Mike Wozniak.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producers: Lowri Morgan and Alice McKee Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Ed Prendeville

On Saturday Live this week we’ll be looking up, down and all over the place. Dame Maggie Aderin, space scientist, will have us looking to the skies in wonder before David Mearns, shipwreck hunter, takes us down into the ocean deep as we marvel at his life’s work - and a man never short of a sense of wonder is writer, actor, comedian, sailor and lover of alpacas...Griff Rhys Jones.Also today, we’ll rise from the depths to the surface for some sea shantying from The Longest Johns - and we’ll be getting the Inheritance Tracks of Andy Zaltzman. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producers: Lowri Morgan and Alice McKee Researcher: Angharad Butler Editor: Glyn Tansley(The live music performed in this programme has been shortened for music rights reasons)

Today we’re in the company of a billionaire, a hostage negotiator and the most sought after screenwriter in the business.The screenwriter in question is Jack Thorne who’s now turned his considerable talent to a brilliant TV adaptation of Lord of the Flies.Nicky Perfect says hostage negotiation is all about empathy, and less about talking than listening. And we’ll be all ears as she tells us what we can all learn from the techniques police negotiators use.And we’ll certainly be paying close attention to what Welsh born billionaire Michael Moritz has to say to us, about his own story, and his telling of the story of his family which is fascinating, harrowing and inspiring in equal measure. Also today the firefighter who spends his spare time being a Viking - and the Inheritance Tracks of Marian Keyes. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producers: Catherine Powell, Ribika Moktan, Imy Harper Researchers: Angharad Butler, Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

Today we have a comedian, a nun and an undertaker’s beautician. Mark Steel says that when there’s a crisis afoot, while everyone else is panicking the comedians in the room are busy finding the funny side. This Mark’s done, with a book about what he calls his adventures in cancerland. The remarkable Sister Libby Osgood, worked for NASA before she became a nun. Quite the career path that. And Jayne Lownds - who brought her expertise as a high-street beautician into the family funeral business. Also today the annual pancake race still being run more than 550 years after it started - and the Inheritance Tracks of Radio 1 DJ and boardgame designer Matt Edmondson. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Alexander Armstrong on life as a writer, Professor Patricia Wiltshire explains the role of a forensic botanist, Mackenzie Crook unveils the secrets behind his latest show.

The Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen, Dr Joseph Jebelli on the power of doing nothing, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Mark Haddon.

Today's programme features a couple of very nice movers. There’s Anton de Beke, fresh from the first night of the Strictly Tour to recount a life of dance and showbiz.Lizzy Yarnold is used to moving at a rather more ferocious speed as our most successful winter Olympian.Picking up on the sweet smell of success, Michael O’Shaugnassey is an expert in scents and uses them to access prisoners memories.Also today, a man considered so dull that he’s won an award for it, and the Inheritance Tracks of Claire Foy.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

This week's programme is fashioned out of clay and stone, against a background of beautiful birdsong. Our potter is the king of clay himself, Keith Brymer Jones, the big, friendly, funny, tearful face of The Great Pottery Throw Down.Our stonemason, Jennie Regan, was taught her craft with the help of the King, and has returned the favour by carving some stone for him.The birdsong will be supplied by Sean Ronayne who has managed to record the sound of all but two of Ireland’s 200 native bird species.All that, plus, the winner of surely the UK’s most gruelling race - 268-miles of mid-winter madness along the Pennine Way - and we’ve the Inheritance Tracks of Mark Heap. Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Gareth Nelson Davies

Jake Humphrey is a High Performance broadcaster - he's spoken openly about his mental health and what drives him, and in his podcast and new book he uncovers what makes the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Sarina Wiegman tick.Madelaine Thomas has excelled in not one but two fields. Firstly as a dominatrix and then as a tech entrepreneur helping others protect their privacy.Dr Uy Hoang, also has two strings to his bow. As an eminent epidemiologist he maps the path of diseases. As an enthusiast for waterways he’s single-handedly photographing thousands of miles of towpaths for Google. Never mind streetview... this is canalview. Also today, the surfer waiting to hear if she’s bagged the world record for riding a bigger wave than any other woman ever - and the Inheritance Tracks of the catsuit wearing, falsetto singing, rock star Justin Hawkins. Presenter: Adrian Charles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Powell

Josh Widdicombe is about to take his stand up show on the road around the country and his latest new podcast series; Dr Helen Sharman talks about the time she became Britain’s first astronaut, and Finlay Wilson a Yoga teacher and author discusses all things yoga in all sorts of glorious Scottish settings. Plus Emily Watson the actor with an astonishing list of theatre, film and television credits to her name, and an array of awards and nominations to match chooses her Inheritance Tracks. Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Colin Paterson

On this Christmas special edition of Saturday Live, we take a deep-dive into the world of board games.Marcia Lewis’s has board games in her blood - her father was the creator of Cluedo.Neil Scanllan holds not one, not two, but four world records for his remarkable collection of Monopoly sets.Dr Harshan Lamabadusuriya, doctor by day, scrabble assassin by night, has had the best season of his life becoming the UK champion for the second time. Also today, BBC Inside Science presenter Tom Whipple, shares with us the tips and tricks for winning some of Christmas’s classic family games - and the Mammoth star Mike Bubbins adds a sprinkling of 70’s Christmas nostalgia to proceedings.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

The actor and art lover Russell Tovey - who’s not only on a mission to spread his love of art far and wide… but is humanity's best hope in the War between Land and Sea. There’s no hint of CGI in the warzones Sally Becker’s been to - the recipient of a Lifetime achievement award at this year’s Pride of Britain, she’s made it her life’s work to help children in some of the most unimaginable situations.And Vanessa Ruck - who spent seven years recovering from a life-changing car accident… only to then learn to ride a motorbike and race it in extreme endurance events. All that plus, a man who makes a living with his hand, head, and indeed his entire body inside some of the most iconic puppets on stage - and the Inheritance Tracks of the actor Paul Bettany.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

Chris McCausland, funny, clever, excellent dancer, widely loved. The list goes on. His new autobiography "Keeping Laughing" charts his life and career across a twenty-five-year journey where he lost his sight but found moments of happiness and laughter along the way.Douglas Roberston, survived being cast adrift in the pacific ocean for 38 days after a killer whale. Just a teenager at the time, he reveals the extremes he had to go to extremes to survive.Another tackler of apparently insurmountable obstacles is Mila Stanzani a record-holding obstacle course racer hear to give us an insight into one of the newest sports at the next Olympics.All that plus, an award-winning pigeon fancier and the Inheritance Tracks of New Zealand’s former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn Tansley

We’re in the company of Ben Miller, comedian, actor, writer and some time student of physics...here to tell us how Father Christmas can in fact deliver a gift to every child in just one night with his new book "The Night I Met Father Christmas".Someone who has had an early Christmas present already is Lucy Steeds, who this week was crowned the winner of the Waterstones Book of the Year. She reveals the process of how her debut book, "The Artist", has become so successful - and how he channels her synaesthesia. Grace Vella spent her childhood dreaming of becoming a professional footballer, she almost made it playing for Liverpool and Man City, but didn’t quite make the grade, so made football her business instead and has founded the women's sports brand Miss Kick.All that, plus Hollie McRae, daughter of iconic rally driver Colin McCrae, tells us how she has become determined to keep rally driving in the family - and we have the shared Inheritance Tracks of Chris and Xand van Tulleken.Presenter: Adrian Chiles P

Michael Sheen is an actor, director and Welshman who describes his vision and impact of the Welsh National Theatre, exploring how the stage can reflect and shape national identity, and what can be learned from football scouts to find the next generation of talent.Convicted fraudster Alex Wood reveals how he went from a would be child prodigy violinist to defrauding millions of pounds out of people. Now, he is a fraud hunter looking for personal redemption whilst helping the police and presenting Scam Secrets on Radio 4.Jenny Häbry is a three time world champion and first female armoured MMA champion, she lifts the curtain on the world of armoured mixed martial arts, revealing the grit, discipline, and determination it takes to rise to the level of world champion.Also, Emma Youell joins us live from Norfolk with her metal detector in hand - will she find anything? Plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of Jason Donovan.Presenter: Adrian Chiles Producer: Ben Mitchell Assistant Producers: Lowri Morgan, Ribika Mokta