Last Word

Jeffrey Archer: From politics, to page-turners, to prison

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

"A woman who wears my clothes is not afraid to be noticed" fashion designer Bob Mackie

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

“A powerful wordsmith and artist” – remembering the playwright and cultural critic Bonnie Greer

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.

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

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 firs

Yayoi Kusama: The artist who painted infinity

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

Dolly Parton: From the Smoky Mountains to Glastonbury Legend

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 exces

Zhu Rongji: The reformist Chinese Premier who ordered 100 coffins

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

William Orbit: The pioneering DJ who reinvented Madonna

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 c

Rod Liddle: Part-time punk turned professional provocateur

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 an

Gunther von Hagens: The life of "Dr Death" the man who founded Body Worlds

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 t

Brenda Fricker: The first Irish woman to win an Oscar

Brenda Fricker became the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for her performance in the film “My Left Foot”. She began her career with parts in Ireland’s first soa

Sam Neill: The silent child with a stutter who became a movie star

Sam Neill starred in over fifty films and numerous television series, playing often wildly different roles, from a palaeontologist in Jurassic Park to a repressed husband

Bonnie Tyler: How the "sweet soul singer" found her growl

Bonnie Tyler, went from a Welsh council house to topping the international charts with songs like: ”Lost In France”, “Holding out for a Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the He

The Good Life of Dame Penelope Keith

Dame Penelope Keith became a household name for her performances in two classic TV comedy shows of the 1970s and early 80s: The Good Life and To The Manor Born. We share

"He became one of the most powerful men in the world” - the story of the man who shaped modern economics

A giant of American economics, former US Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan, was an economic pioneer who shaped the modern American economy and believed in free markets

A “bone marrow love for the Labour party” Lord Kinnock remembers Lord Hattersley

Lord Roy Hattersley, the former Deputy Leader of the Labour party. He was born and brought up in Sheffield. In his book A Yorkshire Boyhood, he confessed to being passion

Founder of the ‘MOBOs’ and champion of black music – Kanya King

For thirty years, Kanya King was a champion of Black music. She was the founder and guiding light of the Music of Black Origin Awards, the ‘MOBOs’. Launched in 1996, the

Larry King: The man behind Billie Jean King’s feminist tennis revolution

Larry King teamed up with his wife Billie Jean King to start the women’s professional tennis circuit in the USA. Baroness Ramsay was MI6 Head of Station in Helsinki duri

Clarence B Jones, Judith Chalmers, Dr Anna Ritchie, Professor Frank Land

Matthew Bannister on Clarence B Jones the American lawyer and civil rights campaigner who helped Martin Luther King to write his famous I Have A Dream speech. Judith Ch

Michael Pennington, Cynthia Shange, Scott Hastings, Beverley Martyn

Kirsty Lang on Michael Pennington, the Shakespearean actor who preferred a life on stage to the glamour of Hollywood. For Dame Judi Dench, he was her 'Mr Plum', she recal