Old Churcherian and Covid Scientist on Desert Island Discs

Old Churcherian and Director of the Wellcome Trust, Sir Jeremy Farrar OBE, hopes that his story will help anxious students today. 

Jeremy discussed his views on the importance of giving people a second chance in education during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs on Sunday 6 December 2020.

As the director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) advising government ministers on Covid-19, Jeremy Farrar is used to operating under pressure. However, he revealed that his A Levels had to be retaken before going on to obtain two degrees from University College London medical school and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford.

With Desert Island Discs host Lauren Laverne, he shared his hope that as a world we can still let people have a second chance in education despite the enormous pressures of today, that he believed it is possible to have a bad day. Jeremy hopes that his story will help anxious students, providing inspiration to those who do not get the results that they want to have the courage and resilience to move forward.

Sir Jeremy Farrar OBE is from the class of 1980 at Churcher’s College.