Bertice Reading's career took off when she won a talent contest and for the prize sang with the Lionel Hampton Band for a week. Later, she started to act and was in the first production of Sandy Wilson's musical Valmouth. In both America and Europe she appeared in cabaret and musicals, and she was a great success here in the musical One Mo' Time.

In conversation with Roy Plomley, she talks about her career and chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: The War of the Worlds - Epilogue by Jeff Wayne
Book: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Luxury: King-size, brass bed with a feather mattress