Roy Plomley by the guest's choice of music. His contract was renewed for a further 15 shows. In the end he presented 1,791 editions of the programme stretching over 43 years. Its success was attributed to his skill as an interviewer and to his meticulous research. Plomley was succeeded as presenter by Michael Parkinson (1985–1988), then by Sue Lawley (1988–2006), and most recently by Kirsty Young. "Desert Island Discs" is the second longest-running radio programme in the world (after the Grand Ole Opry), and it is still running. Until late September 2009, unlike many other BBC radio programmes, "Desert Island Discs" was
Nigel Owens years. In 2015, Owens was named 'Gay Sports Personality of the Decade' at Stonewall awards ceremony in London. In the 2016 Birthday Honours, Owens was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sport, and was awarded an honorary fellowship from Cardiff University in July of the same year. In February 2017, Owens was the castaway on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs", during which he revealed to presenter Kirsty Young that before accepting his sexuality he had asked a doctor if he could be chemically castrated. His autobiography, "Hanner Amser" ("Half Time"), was