Helen Lewis: Great Wives

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BBC Radio 4 FM

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Helen Lewis meets the life partners of history's most famous geniuses.

For two decades, Great Lives on Radio 4 has explored what it takes to change the world. But Helen Lewis wants to find out what it takes to live with someone who changes the world.

For two decades, Great Lives on Radio 4 has explored what it takes to change the world. But Helen Lewis wants to ask a different question: what does it take to live with someone who changes the world?

Helen Lewis: Great Wives: Series 2: Great Widows

Great Widows

Series 2

BBC Radio 4 - Helen Lewis: Great Wives, Series 2, Great Widows

Helen Lewis uncovers the story of a woman who gave away one of America’s great fortunes.

By taking McDonalds from a burger joint to a household name, Ray Kroc made one of America’s great fortunes. Helen Lewis uncovers the story of the woman who gave it all away.

By taking McDonald’s from a single burger joint in California to a household name across the world, Ray Kroc made one of America’s great fortunes. After a few false starts - and dumping his existing wife at a party to celebrate their upcoming round-the-world cruise - he married a blonde pianist called Joan. He proposed with an 11-carat pink heart-shaped diamond. 

Joan loved Ray, but she didn’t love his drinking. And she didn’t love the boring life of a society wife. So she set up a charity to fight alcoholism - sparking an interest in philanthropy which would see her give away more than a billion dollars. Along the way, this great widow also gambled in Vegas, commissioned a sculpture of a mushroom cloud and bought herself a Fabergé egg. 

For two decades, Great Lives on Radio 4 has explored what it takes to change the world. But Helen Lewis wants to ask a different question: what does it take to live with someone who changes the world? In the second season of Great Wives, we’ll meet more fascinating women - and men - and uncover the relationships that created great art, started wars and changed history.

Written and performed by Helen Lewis with additional voices from Kudzanayi Chiwawa & Joshua Higgott 
Producer: Gwyn Rhys Davies
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Design: Neil Goody

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4

Helen Lewis: Great Wives: Series 2

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Uncovering the relationships that created great art, started wars and changed history.

what does it take to live with someone who changes the world? In the second season of Great Wives, we'll meet more fascinating women - and men.

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Helen Lewis: Great Wives

Series 2

Great Widows

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