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
Kirsty Young Kirsty Young Kirsty Jackson Young (born 23 November 1968) is a Scottish television and radio presenter. She is best known as one of the original newsreaders of "5 News" on Channel 5, particularly because of its unique presentation style for the time that featured newsreaders standing up, or sitting on a desk rather than behind it. She presented "5 News" from its launch in 1997 until 2007, only leaving briefly in 2000 for ITV News before returning in 2002. Since 2006 she has been the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" and previously presented "Crimewatch" on BBC