The Richard Dimbleby Lecture (also known as the Dimbleby Lecture) is an annual television lecture founded in memory of Richard Dimbleby (1913—1965), the BBC broadcaster.
It has been delivered by an influential business, scientific or political figure almost every year since 1972 (with gaps in 1981, 1991, 1993, 2008, 2020, 2022 and 2024).
In alternate years, in more recent years, the lecture has been introduced by his sons David Dimbleby and Jonathan Dimbleby, both broadcasters for the BBC, and delivered in front of an invited audience of guests, often with a link to the specialism of the speaker.
Year Title Speaker Speaker's position Listing Venue 2025 The Beautiful Game: Building Belief and Resilience in a Younger Generation Sir Gareth Southgate Former England football manager and player BBC Programme page Senate House, London 2023 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving in this country David Harewood Actor BBC Programme page Battersea Arts Centre 2021 Vaccine Vs Virus: This Race - and the Next One Dame Sarah Gilbert Co-developer of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine BBC Programme page, Transcript Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford 2019 The World Wide Web - A Mid-Course Correction Sir Tim Berners-Lee Inventor of the World Wide Web BBC Programme page Design Museum 2018 Don't Protect Me - Respect Me Jeanette Winterson Writer and broadcaster BBC Programme page House of Lords, Palace of Westminster 2017 Staying Safe in a Turbulent World John O. Brennan Director of the Central Intelligence Agency 2013 to 2017 BBC Programme page LSO St Luke's 2016 Is Shakespeare Chinese? Gregory Doran Artistic Director, Royal Shakespeare Company BBC Programme page University of Warwick at The Shard 2015 Dot Everyone - Power, the Internet and You Martha Lane Fox Co-founder of Lastminute.com, digital entrepreneur and peer Transcript Science Museum, London 2014 A New Multilateralism for the 21st Century Christine Lagarde Managing director of International Monetary Fund IMF BBC Programme page Guildhall, London 2013 The Impatient Optimist Bill Gates Entrepreneur and Philanthropist BBC Programme page Royal Institution 2012 The Wonder of Science Sir Paul Nurse Geneticist and Nobel laureate Royal Society transcript Royal College of Physicians 2011 Set Our Children Free Michael Morpurgo Children's author and campaigner BBC Programme page King's College London 2010 Shaking Hands With Death Sir Terry Pratchett Author & Person with Alzheimer's. Read by Tony Robinson on speaker's behalf owing to his condition Guardian, Transcript Royal College of Physicians 2009 Facing The Future Prince Charles Prince of Wales Transcript St James's Palace 2007 A DNA-Driven World Craig Venter Gene pioneer BBC Press Release 2006 Defence of the Realm in the 21st Century General Sir Mike Jackson Former Chief of the General Staff, (video) The London Scottish Regiment Headquarters 2005 What Kind of Police Service Do We Want? Sir Ian Blair Metropolitan Police Commissioner Transcript , Transcript 2004 Engineering the Difference James Dyson Vacuum cleaner tycoon Transcript Wilton's Music Hall 2003 The path towards a new world Dominique de Villepin French foreign minister Transcript, Transcript, Transcript 2002 Nations, Markets and Morals Dr Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury Radio Times listingTranscript Westminster School 2001 The Struggle For The Soul of The 21st Century Bill Clinton Former President of the United States of America Transcript 2000 Who's Afraid of Modern Art Sir Nicholas Serota Director of the Tate Gallery Radio Times listing 1999 The Future Could be Too Much Fun Susan Greenfield Professor of pharmacology Transcript 1998 Principles of Peace George J. Mitchell Former U.S. Senator and chair of the talks leading to the Belfast Agreement Radio Times listing 1997 Public Life, Public Confidence Lord Nolan Former law lord Radio Times listing 1996 Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder Richard Dawkins Professor of biology Radio Times listing 1994 Security and Democracy - Is There a Conflict? Stella Rimington Director-General of MI5 Radio Times listing Banqueting House, Whitehall 1992 The Judiciary in the Nineties Lord Taylor of Gosforth Lord Chief Justice Radio Times listing 1990 Europe in the Nineties Helmut Schmidt Former Chancellor of Germany Radio Times listing Banqueting House, Whitehall 1989 Living Off the Land Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Radio Times listing The Brewery, Chiswell Street 1988 Knowledge Itself is Power Sir George Porter Professor of chemistry Radio Times listing Royal Institution 1987 British Television: Who are the Masters Now? Sir Denis Forman Deputy Chairman of the Granada Group Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1986 Does Industry Matter? Sir John Harvey-Jones Former chairman of ICI Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1985 Teacher, Teach Thyself Baroness Warnock Professor of philosophy Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1984 The Other Britain Rt Rev. David Sheppard Bishop of Liverpool and former cricketer Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1983 Missing Our Connections Sir Peter Parker Former chairman of British Railways Board Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1982 Irish Identities Garret FitzGerald Former (and later, again) Taoiseach of Ireland Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1980 Misuse of Power Lord Denning Master of the Rolls Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1979 Home Thoughts from Abroad Roy Jenkins President of the European Commission Transcript, Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1978 Risk Lord Rothschild Zoologist and security adviser Radio Times listing Royal Society of the Arts 1977 The Human Face of Labour Jack Jones Former general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union Radio Times listing Clothworkers' Hall 1976 Elective Dictatorship Lord Hailsham Former (and later, again) Lord Chancellor Radio Times listing BBC Television Centre 1975 The British Experience in Television Sir Huw Wheldon Broadcaster Radio Times listing BBC Television Centre 1974 Housing - Who is to Blame? Lord Goodman Former chairman of the Arts Council Radio Times listing BBC Television Centre 1973 Minority Verdict Sir Robert Mark Metropolitan Police Commissioner Radio Times listing BBC Television Centre 1972 What are Universities for, Anyway? Lord Annan Provost of University College, London Radio Times listing BBC Television Centre
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