Brainwash Me with Poppy Hillstead: Exploring niche interests, obsessions, and fetishes!

Poppy Hillstead hosts and produces Poppy Hillstead Has Entered the Chat which is now in its fourth series (winning a Bronze at The British Podcast Awards for Best Comedy, longlisted for Channel 4’s National Comedy Awards, and the latest series was nominated for a Chortle Award) and now she has a new podcast: Brainwash Me with Poppy Hillstead! We caught up with Poppy to find out more about the new podcast, which launches on 17th September…

Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

My name’s Poppy Hillstead and I’ve got a brand new podcast coming out called Brainwash Me with Poppy Hillstead…obviously.

Guests have 40 minutes to natter to me about their niche interests, odd passion, fetish or full-on obsession, to see if they can brainwash me into joining their way of life. How do we know if the guests are successful? Well, I’m hooked up to a brain scanner. If they manage to peak my brainwaves then I’m officially into it…whether I like it or not.

Nudists, wrestlers, Dungeon and Dragon enthusiasts, Dominatrix trainers…I could go on.

How did you decide on the concept for the podcast? Were you just keen to find extra hobbies?

I have no idea really. I just think how many times I’ve been brainwashed in the past. I think it’s something that happens to everyone. You just wake up one day and go “I don’t think I actually like cake, it’s too dry,” or “Why have I pretended so many times I like ice skating?” or “I’m not really aroused by someone trying to lactate me.” I went out with a bloke once who was always trying to like…get them tiddies going. I’m just not bothered, it does nowt for me. So, I think it’s kind of nice to just sit back and let the brainscanner tell me what I like and don’t like, takes the pressure off me. I’m tired.

In the parallel universe where someone else is hosting this podcast and you’re a guest, what niche interest of yours would you try to sell them on?

I’m a very obsessive person. I went to Japan about 15 years ago and got this plastic peach toy with a buggered up human face. I’ve just decided now I want to collect them all. I asked my Japanese friend about it and he said it’s an old toy called ‘Kobito Dukan’ – proper popular apparently. I asked him why Japanese people liked it. He couldn’t really explain why. I don’t know why I like it. I mean, its hideous. I think I’d try and get the host into that. Fucked up peach toys.

It feels like a spoiler to ask about the interests you may have been converted by, but could you give an idea of how many people were able to sway you? Without giving too much away, were you surprised by your response to any of the niche interests?

Let’s just say, I was surprised at how often the brainscanner tells me I’m “incoherent”. I mean dangerous, record levels of incoherency. That’s probably the reason why I never passed my driving test. That’s surprised me. I think I’m quite open minded, but yeah there’s some things where they’ve passed and I’ve been like “oh for fuck’s sake”…cause we’re probably going to do a few follow up episodes where I try out the niche interests out and about. Quite worried about the follow up to the alien dick episode.

Was it easy to get guests to come on the podcast to talk about their passions or did you have to do some convincing?

Yeah, it’s been quite easy! I suppose when it’s something they genuinely love, then they just like talking about it. Also I want people from everywhere, I asked a girl on the tube the other day who was covered head to toe in dolls heads. My dream would be like… an old farmer who was super into cesspits or something, like knew all the models, the history. Convince me to be into cesspits, go on.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

My absolute dream would be to get 5 or 6 different Elvis impersonators of all different levels and have them try and convince me to join them. Can someone please sort this out for me. PLEASE.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

If you’re going to vomit have a receptacle nearby. By the way, that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word ‘receptacle’ and I’m proper proud of myself.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

First episode I have an amazing social nudist as a guest called Rupert the Bare. Obviously he’s completely nude the entire episode. Genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, or if you can bear the constant bumholes that are all over Twitter at the moment…follow me on there. Can’t say there’ll be any less bumholes on my account though to be honest. And you can follow the Brainwash Me podcast on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter too.

Listen to the trailer for Brainwash Me with Poppy Hillstead on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>