It was subsequently confirmed Lauren would continue to host the interview series “for the foreseeable future”, although the Spectator piece claimed that Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya “is apparently looking for someone other than Lauren to front the programme”.
During her tenure, Kirsty hosted 496 episodes of Desert Island Discs, with guests as wide-ranging as Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Tom Hanks and Kylie Minogue.
Desert Island Discs celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2017, marking the occasion with a special interview with David Beckham.