Some of biggest the Greatest Hits Radio interviews in 2026
We've welcomed a lot of famous faces into the Greatest Hits Radio studios
Here at Greatest Hits Radio, not only do we have a stellar line-up across the day with Rossie, Ken Bruce, Kate Thornton and Simon Mayo, but we have also welcomed some amazing celebrities into the studio this year.
Just in 2026, we've welcomed actors such as Mackenzie Crook, Noah Wyle and Brian Cox, as well as musicians Billy Ray Cyrus, Ringo Starr, Melanie C and more. Mackenzie spoke to us about his hugely popular Small Prophets series, while director Baz Luhrmann revealed how he found some archive footage of Elvis in salt mines.
Take a look at some of the biggest interviews we've had in 2026:
John Bishop on turning his life story into a big-screen comedy, Is This Thing On?
Comedian John Bishop sat down with Greatest Hits Radio's Simon Mayo to talk about his film Is This Thing On?, based on an autobiographical anecdote by the Liverpool-born comic, and directed by Bradley Cooper.
The pair discussed how the film is inspired by John's own late start in stand-up comedy, portrayed by a fictional character Alex Novak (Will Arnett). It centres on a man whose marriage is falling apart just as he stumbles into comedy - and the real-life moments, from open-mic nerves to family life - that have been woven into the John-coded film.
Take That teased the release date for their 10th album
Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, better known as Take That, joined Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio to talk about their huge new Netflix documentary, bringing back their 'Circus Live Tour' and the all important new music including an album, due for release in 2026.
Mackenzie Crook opened up about the unusual inspiration behind his latest comedy Small Prophets
Following the arrival of Small Prophets, the new heartwarming comedy from Mackenzie Crook, the actor and writer joined Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio. The Dectectorists' star opened up about the new TV series and the unusual inspiration behind it.
He also revealed why he chose Pearce Quigley for the lead role of Michael Sleep, and how he managed to get Sir Michael Palin involved in the popular series.
Baz Luhrmann told a fascinating story of finding 'mythical' Elvis footage in a real life salt mine
Baz Luhrmann joined Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio to talk about his latest film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. The film used previously unseen archive footage of the King of Rock and Roll which was restored with the help of Peter Jackson.
Baz Luhrmann worked on the Elvis biopic a few years ago starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, and explained how it was during the research for that film, that he came across the footage used in the latest production.
Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook opened up about their album 'Trixies' and teased another
Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook joined Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio to chat about the band's album 'Trixies' and the unusual story behind it. The singer also revealed that we'll have to wait another two years until they release another album, which has already been recorded and "has got the best songs" they've ever written.
'Trixies' was written by Glenn and founding member Chris Difford when they were just teenagers back in 1973.
How Victoria Mary Clarke created the Shane MacGowan tribute album featuring Bruce Springsteen and more
Following the sad passing of The Pogues singer Shane McGowan back in 2023, his wife Victoria Mary Clarke has been curating a tribute album, due for release in 2026. The first song from the album to be released was 'A Rainy Night in Soho', sung by Bruce Springsteen. And Victoria joined Simon Mayo on St Patrick's Day 2026 (17th March), to talk about how the idea for the album came about, and how she got so many artists involved.
Noah Wyle on writing hit TV show The Pitt and its connection with ER
Noah Wyle joined Kate Thornton on Greatest Hits Radio, to talk about his show The Pitt, how it started out as a continuation of ER, and his friendship with George Clooney.
Noah starred as Dr Carter in ER between 1994 and 2005. Throughout ER, fans got to see the medical student progress through the ranks, ending as an Attending Physician. Now, 17 years after ER finished, Noah has returned to acting in a hospital emergency room on The Pitt, a show which is set in Pittsburgh.
Brian Cox revealed why he's never been asked to be on The Celebrity Traitors
Actor Brian Cox joined Simon Mayo to talk about his film Glenrothan, where he stars alongside Alan Cumming. Simon and Brian spoke about the actor's latest role, as he took on the part of Sandy, alongside Alan who plays Donal.
Alan, who is also a good friend of Brian's, is the host of The Traitors USA, and with all the talk of another series of The Celebrity Traitors, an interview with Brian couldn't go without the question - would he take part in The Celebrity Traitors?
Billy Ray Cyrus on why his new album 'The Hill' is his "Johnny Cash moment"
In a candid conversation, Billy Ray Cyrus opened up to Jackie Brambles about the family album that brought him back to his roots. He also spoke about a haunting new single featuring his youngest daughter (Noah), surprise studio collaborations, an emotional Hannah Montana 20th anniversary, and the unexpected love story with Elizabeth Hurley that's reshaped his life.
Carol Decker opened up the early days of T'Pau and recent return to writing music
T'Pau singer Carol Decker opened up about the band's new music, their tour and what it was like returning to writing after all these years. Carol chose 1983 as her Golden Year, a year she said she would have been "slaving away trying to get a record deal."
Ringo Starr opened up about his first duet with Paul McCartney
Ringo Starr joined Simon Mayo via Zoom from America, where the pair spoke about the new album 'Long Long Road', working with Sir Paul McCartney on a duet for Paul's new album, and his attempt to move to the USA when he was 18-years-old, before he became Ringo Starr.
Melanie C revealed how she ended up giving George Michael a pep talk
Melanie C chose 1985 for her Golden Year, as she chatted to Ken Bruce. She opened up about loving Wham! growing up, and having a full circle moment when she gave none other than George Michael a pep talk.
Steve Coogan on new Netflix drama Legends - and the stress of going undercover
Steve Coogan joined us to chat about Legends - a new Netflix crime drama set at the tail end of the Margaret Thatcher era. Steve and Simon Mayo discussed what drew him into playing a quiet but steely customs boss, and why ordinary civil servants make such nerve‑shredding undercover agents.
Boy George joins Kate Thornton to talk about Culture Club's new tour and using AI
Boy George joins Kate Thornton to talk about Culture Club's upcoming tour and how he uses AI to create new music. The singer told Kate: "I have my art studio and then I have my computer. I can work on a track while I'm painting. I don't have to kind of... you know, because the AI thing is so advanced now. You don't have to ring up Roy and go, 'it's 4 in the morning'. Obviously he's not going to come over. I don't need him!"
Lenny Henry reveals why he was pleasantly surprised by his homecoming gig
Speaking about his tour, to Simon Mayo, Lenny revealed how the show is different every night. Split into two halves, the comedian starts his gig with a stand-up routine. The second half is a Q&A session, with questions submitted by the audience that night via a QR code. Lenny admitted when his partner Lisa asked him about the tour, he told her: "I won't tell you what I'm doing, you'll have to come and see it.
"When she saw it, she said, 'Oh, it's stand-up'. I went, 'Yeah, yeah, it is'. That's what I used to... that was my hello, that was my career. She was interested because she hadn't really seen me do a load of stand-up before. She really enjoyed it."