How hiding in a toilet helped Steven Spielberg get into the movie business

The playwright James Graham was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2024.He was a shy and quiet child who enjoyed nothing more than watching soap operas on TV. So what was he doing taking his "stripping vicar" ice-dancing routine on tour? You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2021.She recalls pushing herself in her final event at the London 2012 Olympics, the 800-metre race, and how throwing her hands up in the air as she crossed the finish line had not been part of the plan.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The actor Warwick Davis was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2016.When his grandmother heard an advertisement on the radio looking for short people to play Ewoks in the next Star Wars film, she immediately thought of Warwick, but by the time his mother phoned the film studio, all the roles had been cast. Her powers of persuasion must have been quite something because, aged 11, Warwick found himself on set, dressed in a furry costume, and in the company of his on-screen heroes.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The singer-songwriter Lily Allen was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2014.Although her school reports painted a mixed picture of Lily's academic achievements, a singing teacher spotted her vocal talent and encouraged her to perform. She brought the house down with a song from the Disney film Dumbo.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The film director Steven Spielberg was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.He gave the world Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park, but Steven Spielberg got his start in the film business when he went on a bus tour of Universal Studios. He also explains why the frequently malfunctioning mechanical shark in Jaws was really a blessing in disguise.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The writer Malorie Blackman was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2013.Although she has published more than 70 books for children and young adults - among them her hugely popular Noughts and Crosses series - getting her start as a published author was hard - 82 rejection letters had thudded onto her door mat before she had her first manuscript accepted for publication. She still remembers the day that 83rd letter arrived.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023.He remembers being dropped off unaccompanied at snooker halls across East London by his father as a young boy and learning to play grown men at adult tables - and beating them.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The cookery writer Delia Smith was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2023.She fell in love with her husband, the editor Michael Wynn-Jones, over a shared love of food and football and recalls how she came to be known for her catchphrase, "Let's be havin' you!"You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The model Kate Moss was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2022.Her career began after a chance encounter with a model agent on a flight. She describes attending castings on her own as a teenager, which led to some inappropriate requests. Although unpleasant at the time, she says that they have sharpened her instincts, enabling her to "tell a wrong 'un a mile away".You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards was cast away by Kirsty Young in 2015.He recalls the moment he bumped into his primary school friend Mick Jagger at Dartford train station in 1961, years after losing touch with him. They bonded over a shared love of American blues, which came to define their own sound. Keith Richards laid down the guitar riff for one of the biggest hits, "Satisfaction", on a tape machine in his sleep.You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.