BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

Hi, I'm Lauren LeVern. Welcome to an extra special edition of the DesiDialid discs.

This podcast where guests are invited to choose the eight tracks, book and luxury item that they'd want to take with them if they were cast away to a desert island.

There are over 2,000 archive episodes on BBC Sounds. That's a lot and whether you're a regular listener or new to the programme, you might not know where to start.

Well, the good news is I'm here to help.

I'm going to share with you some of my favourite editions from our incredible back catalogue.

I hope they'll bring you as much joy as they bring me.

I'll be bringing you a world renowned pianist, an award-winning African-American writer and poet, a best-selling crime author, a star judge from Strictly and one of the most inspiring personal stories you will ever hear anywhere.

And of course, some fantastic music. Let's start with the dancer.

Len Goodman, former head judge of Strictly, was born in London's East End, and he sold veg from his grandfather's stall and became a welder in the docks.

But every Saturday, he'd done his glad rags and go off dancing.

Kirsty Castamawain, 2011, and she asked him about growing up in London's Bethnal Green.

Well, it was Bethnal Green. We actually moved when I was quite young out into Ken when I was four or five.

However, my mum used to take me all the time back up to Bethnal Green and I used to play with all the kids in my street and so.

My early memories are of being around Bethnal Green in our little house there, my grandparents' house.

Saturday nights, my nan and one of my uncles were great on the piano, just self-taught and everything's sung.

And my mum used to teach me a little stuff.

You can hold a silver dollar down upon the ground and I'd be sitting there on the five-place, giving my little bit.

It was just wonderful memories.

And you, did you like a bit of an audience? Were you a bit of a show off?

Always. And yeah, I was quite gregarious and outgoing and...

Your grandfather's business then was a fruit and veg business?

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