Sheffield’s brand new podcast festival, Crossed Wires, has had an excellent inaugural outing. Sheffield’s strong track record with events like DocFest, the Children’s Media Conference, and Tramlines made me hopeful for a weekend that combined great shows, industry conversations, and a laid-back vibe… and that’s exactly what I got. I look forward to its growth in the coming years.

Disclaimer, I’m a frequent podcast guest and radio interviewee when someone needs a period education expert (which is not never!). I’m also an avid podcast listener, with my particular tastes leaning toward the nerdy and topical (current faves: Lateral with Tom Scott, The Allusionist with Helen Austwick-Zaltman and No Such Thing as a Fish with the QI team, and, due to my Brooklyn beginnings, I’m a long-time fan of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!)

I was initially unsure whether my adopted hometown had space for another festival in general or could draw audiences for podcasts specifically. Like many locals, I studied here and loved it so much I stayed, and we are fiercely loyal. Was this truly a homegrown festival? I agreed to come along, attend a few shows and give it a review for Pod Bible. An offer to pay my train fare up to Sheffield was slightly alarming – even the PR team thought I was from The South and needed remuneration to convince me to visit The North. I reassured them that I was so local I would be cycling over, but wouldn’t say no to an invite to the launch party.

Festival posters in the Bethel Chapel space – Photograph: Chella Quint

The opening speeches at the brand new city centre food hall, the Cambridge Street Collective, quickly allayed my fears. It turned out I actually knew several members of the wider team. I recognised some former BBC Sheffield broadcasters and bumped into the Lord Mayor, the Chief Exec of the council, and the South Yorkshire Mayor. Turns out the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (SYMCA) and Sheffield City Council have both pledged three years of funding to help the festival get off the ground. I headed to my first show.

Off Air with Jane and Fi at the Crucible Theatre attracted an audience of primarily older women (although Jane and Fi praised the mum who’d brought her daughter and thanked the husband who’d been brought along by his wife for his patience) and included attendees who’d travelled from as far as Wales and South Africa. Jane and Fi’s relaxed performance, with lights up in the room, felt intimate and welcoming. They answered audience questions, chatted, and discussed their transition from the BBC to Times Radio with refreshing honesty, touching on the challenges of accepting advertising but standing firm against gambling and credit ads. The chance to hear these familiar voices in a more candid setting would become a consistent theme of the festival.

Off Air with Jane and Fi at the Crucible Theatre – Photograph: Chella Quint

I headed back to the opening night party which featured outstanding local choir Neighbourhood Voices and a guest DJ set by local legend Self Esteem. (Serious props to Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who consistently lent her time and talents to the festival all weekend long, starting with the opening party and concluding with her session on Sunday with Adam Buxton.)

The next afternoon, I went along to Talk Art at Sheffield City Hall. Held in the smaller basement ballroom, Talk Art featured an engaging interview with local-artist-gone-London Corbin Shaw. Hosts Russell Tovey and Robert Diament asked the questions, and despite not being familiar with the podcast, I found their approach enjoyable and informative. Shaw’s work, which explores themes of toxic masculinity in football fandom and his sense of place and family, was super resonant. I left with a newfound appreciation for his art and the podcast itself. I even got to meet Russell Tovey, whose television work I’ve always loved.

Talk Art with hosts Robert Diament and Russell Tovey plus guest Corbin Shaw – Photograph: Chella Quint

After a brief visit to Kelham Pride, I came back to the city centre to catch Brown Girls Do It Too at the newly renovated Bethel Chapel (all the fringe events were held in a pop-up black box theatre space here). Hosts Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani captivated the full house with their humour and astute advice about sex and relationships. Their ability to blend serious topics with knowing observational nods to their families’ reactions to talking about (or catching them at) various intimate encounters was appreciated by the most diverse audience I’d seen yet. Their show concluded – as some of their previous live appearances have – with a sharp and triumphant musical number addressing the exoticisation of Asian women, earning them a standing ovation. The atmosphere was electric, and the energy was infectious.

Brown Girls Do It Too – on stage & surrounded by fans – Photograph: Chella Quint

The next day I headed over to The Naked Podcast, another free fringe show in Bethel Chapel, a former homegrown BBC Radio Sheffield production which came back for one night only as an independent outing. For a Naked Podcast, it was all very chaste. Starting in glamorous dressing gowns and then posing coyly in front of some strategically placed foliage, hosts Kat Harbourne and Jenny Elles interviewed Doncaster-born, Burmese-British actress, model and reality TV star Chrissie Wunna in a playful yet empowering session. Their usual openness and Wunna’s frank stories took everyone from giggles to guffaws. The session ended on a particularly heartwarming note, with a shout-out to former Naked Podcast guests in the audience – and a special thanks and birthday singalong to disability activist, former broadcaster (and, full disclosure, good friend of mine) Sam Cleasby. The warmth in the room was real and not just because of the lights keeping the ferns from wilting and revealing and the audience had a lot of affection for this show. I hope it will come back in another incarnation again one day soon.

Kat and Jenny of the Naked Podcast, clothed then hidden by ferns and foliage – Photograph: Chella Quint

Most of the audience went straight from there to The Adam Buxton Podcast at a sold-out Sheffield City Hall. I am on the periphery of Adam and Joe fandom, I caught them on Channel 4 on a visit to the UK as a teen and didn’t quite know what I was watching, but enjoyed it. Although I’m not a regular listener to his podcast, every time I do hear it or see something he’s done I enjoy it, and I’ll be adding it into my rotation. I wasn’t surprised it was sold out: a combination of him and Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor) who’s also a fan, were a huge crowd draw, and it was an absolutely amazing show. Wild juxtapositions abounded. After some Buxton-style scathing silliness with AI and a quality interview with Self Esteem, the show ended with her singing a heart-wrenching acapella arrangement of I Do This All The Time with her backup singers… leaving much of the audience of us ‘good sturdy girls’ openly crying… followed immediately by all four women on stage doing a conga line into the wings with not even a wave to the audience, and Adam Buxton shouting goodbye and thanks, and playing a looped video outro sequence where a screenful of cartoon likenesses repeatedly dive into his bottom and are regurgitated to some wacky music. It was all perplexingly wonderful. We were all invited back to Bethel Chapel for a breather.

Adam Buxton on stage and Self Esteem and her singers – Photograph: Ellie Eagle-Skinner

The final show, Katherine Ryan Telling Everybody Everything back at the City Hall, began with her short comedy set followed by an ‘in conversation’ with author and broadcaster Emily Dean. I did actually ask for a plus one for this one to get the full experience of being able to share Katherine Ryan’s ‘can’t unhear that’ moments with a friend, but although we had an extra chuckle over Emily Dean’s obsession with Henry VIII, really the whole room felt like one big hangout, complete with Katherine Ryan herself reminding folks when to get the last train home (even though the show was going longer), and Emily Dean’s adorable dog Raymond roaming the stage (apparently Sheffielders left a good impression on Emily Dean – we are more dog-friendly than Londoners).

Katherine Ryan and Emily Dean (and her dog) thanking the audience – Photograph: Chella Quint

And then, for those who didn’t have to worry about the last train, the festival ended. The verdict? Sceptical at first, but completely won over. Crossed Wires had Big DocFest Energy for me, and that is an excellent thing. The three-year commitment from both the council and SYMCA means there’s a plan for the future. The curation ticked a lot of boxes for me, and clearly even more for everyone else – there were a bunch of sold-out events in both the paid and fringe programmes.

My only critique would be the costs of the paid shows. My experience of having comps for the shows I wanted was unique, and I might not have spent that cash otherwise, but the ‘feel’ of being welcome everywhere was too good not to share with other festival goers in future. I hope next year it’s possible to offer a festival pass, allowing access to all shows for one price (perhaps supplemented by external sales to big draws). Actually, here is my full wishlist as the festival grows: more indie and emerging podcasts, offering an even bigger platform for local voices, improving access by including live captions, and programming in more themed strands, such as my own nerdy faves, plus other popular categories like true crime and politics.

My weekend was filled with laughter, learning, and a strong sense of community, leaving me eager for next year’s event. The festival’s organisation, venues, and overall execution were commendable, and the staff were attentive and ensured accessibility throughout. It has the potential to become a staple in both the podcasting calendar and the Sheffield festival diary. Roll on, Crossed Wires 2025!

Were you at Crossed Wires Festival 2024? What did you enjoy? What would you like to see more of? Let us know in the comments or on social media!

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Before we worry about any of that however, it’s time to look back and celebrate our favourite podcasts from 2023. As is our tradition, we ended the year with the Pod Bible Listener Polls, a month long open vote where we ask listeners to vote for their favourite podcasts of the year. All of the nominees featured in the Pod Bible Magazine, on the Pod Bible Podcast, on the website or newsletter over the last twelve months – except the final Independent Podcast category, which was open to all.

The polls were open for the whole of December and closed at midnight on the 31st of December. Thank you so much to everyone who voted, we received a record number of submissions, up 30% on our previous best which is huge! Our team have now counted and verified all submissions and we’re very happy to see a good mix of classic podcasts, indy shows and new productions as well as a bunch of brand new winners and an unprecedented tie for third place in one of the categories…

Pod disciples, we present to you your Pod Bible Listener Poll Winners for 2023!

COMEDY

WINNER: WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAKE

2nd – FRENCH AND SAUNDERS: TITTING ABOUT

3rd – OFF MENU

Congratulations to Kathy Burke and the amazing team at Sony Music and Somethin’ Else for creating a runaway hit last year. Where There’s A Will There’s A Wake has taken the most morbid of subjects and turned it into a deeply entertaining and thought provoking listen, with an incredible line up of guests. Everyone knew Kathy would make the perfect podcast host when the time was right and boy has she delivered.

Kathy’s long term British comedy peers French & Saunders come second with perennial winners Off Menu dropping down to third place in what’s been yet another huge year for the dream restaurant based show.

INTERVIEW & CONVERSATION

WINNER: THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

2nd – OFF AIR… WITH JANE & FI

3rd – CHANGES WITH ANNIE MACMANUS

What else can be said about The Adam Buxton Podcast and it’s place within the UK podcasting scene since it’s inception in 2015? The quintessential interview podcast for us and the listener votes have yet again backed us up. The fact that Adam can go on lengthy hiatus’s then reappear with no warning with another run of wonderous conversations makes it feel all the more special.

Legendary broadcasters (and fellow former Pod Bible cover stars) Jane Garvey and Fi Glover take second place with DJ Annie Macmanus making the podium in third.

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

WINNER: TALK ART

2nd – CLOSET CONFESSIONS

3rd – WHERE ARE YOU GOING? / POP OFF

We’re delighted to see Talk Art take the gold in this year’s Lifestyle & Culture category! Robert and Russell have been long term supporters of Pod Bible and it’s been a joy to witness their show going from strength to strength over recent years.

Pod Bible cover stars Closet Confessions take second and for the first time ever we have a tie for third place (quite the feat considering we had thousands of votes in this category!). Where Are You Going? and Pop Off share third place, two very different shows that are equally worth your time.

FILM & TV

WINNER: SHRINK THE BOX

2nd – THE DREAM FACTORY

3rd – STICKY BUN BOYS

Three brand new entries onto the Film & TV podium this year, which is no mean feat in a category with both Kermode & Mayo and Films To Be Buried With! Congratulations to Shrink The Box, the show where Ben Baily Smith and Sasha Bates take their favourite fictional characters and analyse why their behaviour causes them so much drama.

It’s wonderful to see that both second and third places are taken by two independent shows this year. User generated movie creation podcast The Dream Factory takes second with Great British Bake Off re-watch podcast Sticky Bun Boys in third.

MUSIC

WINNER: THAT’S NOT METAL

2nd – BEFORE THEY KNEW BETTER

3rd – ROCKONTEURS

Huge congratulations to That’s Not Metal, a truly independent and fan made podcast that has taken first place in this year’s music category! TNM brings you news, opinions and honest reviews from the world of Metal music every week and finished 2023 with their very own awards show.

DIY Magazine’s Before They Knew Better takes second with last year’s bronze medal winners Rockonteurs returning to third place again!

SPORT & LEISURE

WINNER: REMINDING YOU WHY YOU LOVE FOOTBALL

2nd – THE TENNIS PODCAST

3rd – FOOTBALL RAMBLE

Need a reminder as to why you love football? Look no further than this years winner in Sport & Leisure, Reminding You Why You Love Football! The perfect show for those who are not necesarily looking for up to the minute analysis on the latest round of fixtures. You can check out our chat with Seb and Owen from the show here!

The Tennis Podcast takes second place with stalwarts the Football Ramble in third.

NEWS & INVESTIGATION

WINNER: POD SAVE THE UK

2nd – THE NEWS AGENTS

3rd – A VERY BRITISH CULT

A wonderful debut year for Pod Save The UK is capped off by topping the polls for News & Investigation. Nish Kumar and Coco Khan’s weekly politics show is funny, informative and most importantly, accessible.

Similar in subject matter, The News Agents comes in at second with BBC Radio 4 investigative series A Very British Cult taking third place.

AUDIO DRAMA

WINNER: SHERLOCK & CO.

2nd – THE WITCH FARM

3rd – SPRINGLEAF

Sherlock & Co flew onto the scene in October last year and immediately topped the Audio Fiction charts with it’s superbly written scripts and hilarious performances. Our chat with Sherlock & Watson resulted in one of our favourite interviews of the year so we are delighted to see them pick up first place.

Second place goes to the BBC’s The Witch Farm with James Acaster’s Springleaf, only released in November, taking third.

OH. MY. POD.

INDEPENDENT PODCAST

WINNER: PICTURE THE SCENE

2nd – ECONOMICS IN TEN

3rd – 101 PART TIME JOBS

After finishing second last year, true crime podcast Picture The Scene have come back strong to take first place and let us tell you, they got a LOT of votes.

Ever present Economics in Ten take second place with new entrant 101 Part Time Jobs taking the bronze!

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Congratulations to all our winners, runners up and nominees and thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for their favourite shows. We’re sure 2024 will be another incredible year for podcasting and look forward to celebrating it with another set of Pod Bible Listener Polls at the end of the year!

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To be considered, budding podcasters based in the UK — and who don’t already have a podcast — need to apply via an online application. Applicants should introduce themselves and their podcast idea, alongside a 60-second audio statement explaining why they should be picked for the Acast Amplifier incubator.

Acast and a panel of ambassadors — featuring fan-favourite podcasters from the Acast Creator Network alongside other industry experts — will judge the entries and choose three winning creators. Applications are open from today, January 25, and closing at 00:00 GMT on March 14.

Panellists include Adam Buxton (The Adam Buxton Podcast), Chanté Joseph (writer, creator of How Not To Be Racist), Pete Donaldson (Football Ramble), Dane Baptiste (comedian, host of Dane Baptiste Questions Everything), Niellah Arboine (Growing Up With gal-dem), Tash Walker and Shivani Dave (The Log Books), Leanne Levers & Roshan Roberts (Dope Black Women), Scroobius Pip, Stu Whiffen and Adam Richardson (Pod Bible), Imriel Morgan (Content is Queen), Chal Ravens (Novara Media, Crack Magazine), and Sophie MacAskill (Curtis Brown)

Winning applicants will have their first three episodes fully produced, along with their podcast’s branding including artwork and music. They’ll also receive a £2,500 grant each, to continue to fund their show, plus a free lifetime subscription to Acast’s top hosting plan, and bespoke support and free equipment from Acast and its partners – including Shure, Pirate Studios, and Crack Magazine’s creative agency CC Co. To cover all bases, from production to branding and monetisation, winners will also receive mentoring from Acast.

Sam Shetabi, UK Content Director from Acast, said: “This really is the opportunity of a lifetime for three people with a story to tell. They’ll get unparalleled support and advice from industry big-hitters, including mentorship from some top podcasters who’ve been there and done it.

“We want to provide tomorrow’s podcast creators with everything they could possibly need to get their ideas out into the world, and I can’t wait to hear their applications. We’re about to uncover the next great British podcast.”

Adam Buxton, host of The Adam Buxton Podcast, said: “Hello Adam Buxton here. Podcasting is a great way to make genuine connections with an audience whether you’re recording a chat on your phone or creating intricate soundscapes, dealing with serious subjects or providing relief from everyday stress by being silly, and I’m very happy to encourage new voices and new ideas to emerge with the help of Acast’s Amplifier programme. I’m excited to hear who’s out there.”

Imriel Morgan, CEO of Content is Queen: “I believe podcast incubators are the future of talent development in the podcasting industry. We need to create risk-free environments for creators from all backgrounds to innovate and pivot. It’s been core to my work for the last seven years so I’m very excited to join the Acast Amplifier judging panel and hear all of the niche and wonderful ideas that come from the applicants.”

Pete Donaldson, host of Football Ramble: “I’m really excited to hear pitches from fresh voices in the space through the Acast Amplifier.  It’s often said that podcasts have a very low bar of entry, but great ideas can often get buried under poor production, planning and the like. I’m honoured to be able to help Acast give new podcasts the very best start.”

Chanté Joseph, writer and creator of How Not To Be Racist: “I’m a huge fan of podcasts, I probably listen to more podcasts than music. Every week I try to find a new series to listen to that will help me to discover a new idea and expand my worldview. I’m so excited to sit on this panel and be a part of aiding the next generation of talented podcasters. I can’t wait to listen to all of the ideas and get lost in their stories.”

Acast Amplifier follows the launch of Aclass Essentials, a free online resource to equip anyone who wants to start their own podcast with the knowledge they need to produce great, original audio content from home.

Visit www.acastamplifier.com for more information and to apply today.

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Developed with agency partner Weirdo — and running across paid social and Acast’s own inventory of 300 million monthly podcast listens — the campaign features the first words from across Acast’s portfolio of podcasts globally, including Off Menu, The Adam Buxton Podcast, Forever35, Dope Black Mums, The Little Dum Dum Club, and many more.

The campaign will also feature amusing videos with top podcasters being challenged to try and remember their own first words — as well as sharing insight into how they themselves took those first steps.

The launch of “First Words” follows research by Acast suggesting that more than 1 in 10 people in the UK plan to start their own podcast this year.

Lizzy Pollott, SVP Marketing Communications and Brand at Acast, said: “Even the longest podcasting journeys start with just one step. Every podcaster — from Adam Buxton to your friend down the road — has had to start somewhere, and take that leap. Our new campaign hopes to inspire people to get started with their show and find their voice and audience.

“By rewinding hundreds of Acast podcasts we’ve found the humble first words of shows that have ended up being listened to millions of times around the world. Some are funny, some shocking, some a little bit silly, but they all prove that — however, you want to start telling your story — Acast will help get it heard.”

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There aren’t many podcasters more widely and warmly regarded than Adam Buxton, AKA Dr Buckles, AKA Count Buckules. Since 2015 he’s been talking to comedians, writers and musicians, though usually only in passing about their comedy, writing and music. Without any gimmicky formats or forced jollity, The Adam Buxton Podcast has been the gold standard of interview podcasts for a little while now.

Each episode opens and closes with Buxton wandering through the Norfolk countryside, usually with faithful dog Rosie haring around nearby, and in between is an apparently unstructured stroll through the conversational hinterlands. Buxton and his guest might chat about their careers; they might just as soon talk about picking up hitchhikers, what they’ve been watching on telly, or UFO sightings. The chat goes where the chat goes.

The magic’s in how completely unforced and genuinely fun each episode feels, though Buxton’s self-deprecating style masks a real skill at getting his guests to relax and talk unguardedly. He even got Paul McCartney, who’s been reflexively telling the same anecdotes for about 40 years now, to spill some new stories.

He’s got a deep back catalogue to dig into too. Here’s where to start with Dr Buckles’ patented ramble-chats.

Episode 28: Michael Palin

A couple of big Buxton themes crystallised in his chat with Python and genial explorer Michael Palin. Early on Buxton’s guests leaned heavily toward British comedy greats past and present – big tick on this one there – and Steve Coogan, Michaela Coel, Sara Pascoe and more all featured. Palin pitching up to chat was a pointer that Buxton was moving into the biggest podcast leagues.

The other big theme is death. When Buxton’s dad, the journalist Nigel Buxton, died in 2015 it coloured a lot of the early episodes, and Buxton spoke very movingly about more recent passing of his mum with Joe Cornish last year.

It all builds toward Palin talking with disarming frankness and fondness about the last moments he spent with fellow Python Graham Chapman, as Chapman lay dying of cancer in 1989. Palin remembers sharing bad reviews which mutual enemies had recently received, and gossiping with the unconscious Chapman. “I just hate this dreadful solemnity that happens,” he says. It’s a prime example of Buxton’s empathetic style and, staggeringly, found another dimension to Palin’s all-round good dude status. Listen now on Acast >>

Episode 34: Joe Cornish

Buxton cut his teeth as an audio broadcaster on XFM and 6Music with his Adam and Joe Show co-host and best friend Joe Cornish, and it’s now a Christmas tradition for the pair to meet up for a catch-up and some low-grade gift-giving. (Their mutual school friend Louis Theroux is a regular too – start with episode 26, in which Theroux sings Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ in a truly haunting falsetto.)

Really, all of the Buxton-Cornish collab episodes are essentials here, with the easy, silly chat between the pair both deeply endearing and . Go back to the first, though, to get in at the ground floor of The Doodle Story, a fairly pedestrian anecdote Cornish tells about being in a meeting with Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg while working on The Adventures of Tintin, and which ended up being thrillingly serialised over three years. Listen now on Acast >>

Episode 130: Zadie Smith

One of the many things which separates Buxton’s podcast from the many billions of other celebrity chat podcasts is its literary streak – Philip Pullman, Marlon James, Kazuo Ishiguro and Candice Carty-Williams have all featured. Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth, is in many ways a perfect guest: she’s lucid and earnest about big stuff, and just quick to laugh and be daft.

This episode is exactly in the sweet spot between talking about very biggest things – in this case what the point of art is, and what it means to make art at a time of global turmoil, and whether Smith makes art to escape her fear of death – in a laidback, funny way. Doesn’t sound like it’d be possible to have a laugh about all that, but Buxton and Smith manage it. No other podcast interviewer would be quite able to get away with asking, “What is it about death that’s such a downer?” Listen now on Acast >>

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If you could go back to just before you recorded the first episode of your podcast and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

Find a good editor. I love the free flowing nature of podcast conversations, but most of them can be improved with some judicial chopping. I get the appeal of a long unedited ramble with someone fascinating, but we can’t all be Joe Rogan or Terry Gross, and most hosts (myself very much included) aren’t good enough to sustain a good conversation/interview over one hour, let alone 2 or 3. Most people don’t have time to actually listen to a show that long anyway. I like something that’s been honed and presented with an appreciation for what can be done with audio.

What makes a great podcast guest?

Someone who is good at talking about themselves, enjoys a conversation and doesn’t care too much how people will respond to what they say. Kathy Burke springs to mind, or Louis Theroux. But I also like the occasional guest who is basically just telling a story or a series of stories and isn’t really interested in talking to me. If their stories are well told, it’s a nice change and I get to relax!

What makes a great podcast host?

I like podcasters who are genuinely interested in their guests and don’t just sit there waiting for the next opportunity to do a joke or talk about themselves. I have certainly been guilty of both those things. Sometimes I think it’s OK, as long as the guest is on board and is happy to go back and forth with you like that, but if you don’t know the person very well, it’s important to make it clear to them that you’re listening to what they have to say and that they can relax. The goal is to get a conversation flowing. If that starts happening then you can start cautiously lobbing in your own bullshit.

What’s been your worst podcast moment?

There have been some disappointments with guests who I thought I would get on well with but turned out to be guarded or just not in the mood for a conversation with me. I went to Los Angeles a couple of years back to do a few podcasts and some shows, but the impetus for the trip was the opportunity to talk to a musical hero of mine. However when I finally sat down with them, they just went off on a series of impenetrably esoteric monologues, then got annoyed when I tried to bring the conversation round to their music or anything more than 5 people might find interesting. That day was frustrating on so many levels, but I was mainly irritated with myself for failing. I’d seen that person do great interviews with other people but I failed to get the best out of them.

Unfortunately there are often times when I’m having an off day and do a lousy job of taking a conversation somewhere interesting or maybe the guest just isn’t in the mood. Often those episodes don’t come out. Now I try to warn guests that not every episode gets released so they don’t take it personally if theirs doesn’t end up appearing. The best podcasters are consistently good with all their guests. I’m not there yet.

What is it about podcasts that appeals to you?

I like hearing a conversation unfold. I like the tangents and the irrelevancies that you couldn’t get away with on TV or radio where everyone and everything tends to be boiled down to its most unambiguous version. The long form podcast conversation offers the possibility of hearing something more nuanced, messy and more true to real life than you’d get anywhere else. It’s a chance to get to know a stranger in quite a meaningful way. There’s something that feels good about that, especially in these strange times.

What is your podcast/podcaster pet peeve?

This is a very superficial peeve that I’m not proud of, but I don’t like the croaky voice some podcasters favour. This is a huge generalisation, but I’ve found it’s often younger people doing more journalistic pieces on American podcasts who tend to do the croaky voice most. It sounds contrived, as though they have, consciously or unconsciously, adopted that way of speaking because they think it somehow signifies intimacy and intelligence, so the listener will feel they’re in bed with an intellectual. There’s enough intellectuals in my bed already, thanks.

Personally I also find very long intros wearying. It’s a fine balance, because many listeners like hearing about the host/hosts and what they’ve been up to, but for someone who’s just downloaded an episode because they’re interested in the guest or the main topic, it can easily come off as offensively indulgent and boring. Sometimes I’ll do a longer intro if there are bits of the conversation I think need setting up with a little background info or if I have a particular story I want to tell that I think people might enjoy, but increasingly I try to put most of the more personal waffling at the end, for the hardcore!

Is there anything you found annoying as a podcast listener… but then understood when you started making your own?

Well, the long intro thing – if you don’t script your intros and you’re just freestyling, it’s VERY easy to talk for 10 or 15 minutes and tell yourself it’s all good stuff, but almost always it would be better if it was at least half as long. You also realise how hard it is to get guests who haven’t been on everybody else’s podcast, but I don’t think most people care about that too much any more.

Which one podcast episode of your own means the most to you?

That’s like asking me to pick a favourite child! OK, technically it’s not, because we’re talking about podcasts not children, but it’s still tough. All the episodes are quite different and it really depends what mood you’re in. Well of course the Scroobius Pip episode (EP.07) was particularly good! I really liked the Mae Martin one (EP.50) because I didn’t really know her before we sat down and over the course of the conversation I just liked her more and more, which hopefully comes across to the listener. I’d say the same about Diane Morgan too (EP.65) – a very different kind of personality but so surprising and funny. I mentioned Louis Theroux (EP.01, 29, 49, 81) and Kathy Burke (EP.15, 56) before, they’re always so entertaining and interesting. Zadie Smith (EP.40) was a thrill and I hope our conversation was a little different to most interviews she gives, and the same could be said for Paul Thomas Anderson (EP.63). Hassan Akkad’s story of coming to the UK from Syria as a refugee (EP.57) was fascinating and told brilliantly by him and it was very exciting to talk to David Sedaris (EP.79). And Brian Eno!

Shit… I can’t narrow it down to just one, but three of my favourites, which I’ve listened back to and felt really happy with were Romesh Ranganathan (EP.61) Tash Demetriou (EP. 32 & EP.82) and Tim Key (EP.77). Yes, I know that’s four.

Which one podcast episode not of your own means the most to you?

Some of Bob Mortimer’s ‘Gangs Of The EPL’ playlets on Athletico Mince have REALLY made me laugh and stayed with me. I think Bob likes a lot of the same things as me in comedy – weird accents, stupid songs and talking about mundane routines. When he’s on a roll I can’t think of too many people who are funnier.

Read more Gospel According To… articles in the Pod Bible magazine, which you can read online or buy in our shop. You can subscribe to The Adam Buxton Podcast on Acast, or via Adam-buxton.co.uk.

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If you’re a regular podcast listener, you’ll probably be just as familiar with the selling points of Squarespace, Mailchimp and Blue Apron as you are your favourite shows.

Podcasts have grown exponentially over the past few years, and companies are increasingly capitalising on their engaged audience.

Podcast sponsorships take a few different formats. Sometimes, hosts rattle through a script they were obviously handed by a company that didn’t give them any room to personalise it. Other hosts add in semi-scripted gushes about how they tried a product out and, no really, they genuinely loved it.

But a new type of sponsorship is making its way into people’s ears. Podcast hosts are taking advertising into their own hands and making ads that break off from the script, that even make fun of the regular script and the businesses paying their bills – subverting the advertising we know and tolerate.

These ads don’t talk down or patronise or pretend. They give listeners a well-earned break from the tyranny of boring, cringeworthy and patronising advertising we’re subject to day in, day out from every angle, social media platform and device.

For Adam Buxton, host of The Adam Buxton podcast, sponsorship ads are entertainment in themselves. In one episode of his podcast, Buxton’s dog, Rosie, asks him if listeners can try a Squarespace trial.

“Can you try it to see if you like it?”

“Sure, you can do a free trial,” says Buxton, perfectly honing the faux earnestness of traditional ads.

“I did a free trial – it was one of the best days of my life.”

In another skit, Buxton puts on the voice of Sheila, who works at The Economist, as she rings Buxton to tell him the main points to get across in his ad. “We’ll leave it up to you to communicate that as you see fit,” she ends her voicemail.

Buxton then says in his ad, “I always thought [The Economist Magazine] looked so dull, but I had not actually seen inside it. Then while bored on holiday, I found a copy and perused…”.

The Sheila leaves another voicemail for Buxton, saying, “Look forward to hearing the ad, hope it’s not too stupid or offensive, thanks!”.

Unbeknownst to Buxton, ‘Sheila’ worked in a senior position at The Economist. Thankfully, she saw the funny side.

When Buxton’s ads aren’t skits, they’re songs. One Reddit user wrote of his song ads, “I’d probably buy the album if he released them in a compilation”.

Another great example of podcasters upending traditional advertising is the Off Menu podcast with comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble. In series two, Gamble reads out a very on-brand script by PopChips, pretending he’s just talking off the top of his head, while Acaster marvels at his ad-libbing abilities.

This way of advertising subverts all the rules of traditional advertising – mainly because it breaks the third wall. Both consumers and businesses know they’re ads often aren’t taken at face value, that their adverts come across as patronising, cheesy, completely unrelatable. But this is the first time everyone involved is acknowledging that in one big, collective wink.

This type of sponsorship is win-win for listeners, advertisers and the podcasters that rely on revenue to fund their time and investments. Listeners still get informed of the details and reeled in with a call to action, but the company advertising also comes across better.

A company that not only lets a podcast host make fun of it, make light of their service or product, but also pays them to do it, comes across much more likeable than one who hijacks an otherwise enjoyable podcast, changing the tone and forcing listeners to skip ahead.

Joe Copeman, UK Managing Director of podcast platform Acast, says sponsor reads have become the “bread and butter” of podcast advertising.

“They have to sound authentic, in-keeping with the tone of the host’s podcast. This is where they can really have some fun,” he says.

These ads typically come about by podcast hosts receiving a short brief from a business, so they can work on it themselves before the client approves it.

Some companies are concerned at first, he says, because handing over the ad to a podcast host for them to work their magic can make them feel like they’re not in control.

The key to this working, Copeman says, is ensuring podcast hosts on only agree to work with brands that are in keeping with their podcast and its audience.

“We never want them to do podcast reads that aren’t sincere – it’s all about the trust between the audience and a podcast, and the moment you start eroding that trust, it doesn’t work,” he says.

One reason these ads work so well is because podcasts are such an involved medium, compared to the more passive way we watch TV or listen to the radio. The usual stereotypes, trite assumptions, clichés and lack of self-awareness that adverts heavily rely on – including radio – were never going to work on podcasts.

“Podcasts are listened to in headphones 80 percent of the time,” Copeman says, “They’re an immersive moment where it’s just you and the podcaster. You don’t need shouty messages like you get on the radio.”

As podcasts continue to grow, it’s crucial to establish how best to monetise them so they can continue. The answer does seem to lie in funny sponsor ads that engage the reader, let the host have fun and that leave advertisers happy. Even Sheila gets it.

Jessica Brown is a freelance journalist and podcast fiend. You can read some of her work here.

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