Some of our writers have recommended their favourite new shows – all of the released in the past four months. And of course, we catch-up on some of the shows we’ve been recommending weekly in our newsletter…

Self Help by Scottee
Recommended by Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Multi-hyphenate writer and performer Scottee has made a podcast about mental health, which feels like a series of deeply intimate voice notes from your mate who’s just had an epiphany they had to share. As Scottee strode through the rain, I trudged through the drizzle, and listened to him laying out the podcast’s mission statement: “What happens when I’m left alone with the voices in my head, something doctors are always trying to stop me from doing.” Spending time alone with Scottee’s voice in your head is alternately painful and uplifting, illuminating and righteous-anger-provoking. His words will stay with you. Listen now >>

Things Fell Apart – Series 2
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

Jon Ronson’s excellent culture wars pod returns for a second series picking away at the wrong presumptions and half-truths which spawned some of the most insidious wedge issues in British and American politics. This time the conspiracy theory which says 15-minute cities are a Big Government plot is traced back to a meeting at Chipping Norton Town Hall, the death of George Floyd is connected to a spurious mental health diagnosis in the eighties, and lockdown laws in Michigan get a young man mixed up in a terrible crime. Level-headed, humane and meticulous. Listen now >>

The Gatekeepers
Recommended by Zainab Amer

In this eight-part series, author and journalist Jamie Bartlett journeys into Big Tech’s dominance over information. The first episode transports us back to the Capitol riots in 2021 and Trump’s subsequent Twitter suspension. Marking a pivotal moment, Jamie traces social media’s roots back to the 1960s counterculture and a Bill passed by Clinton. Featuring compelling interviews with early tech pioneers, we are left pondering: where do we go from here? The Gatekeepers offers us a fly-on-the-wall experience for anyone interested in how a handful of companies have come to dictate not just what we see, but even what we think. Listen now >>

Never Post
Recommended by Katie Stokes

I love listening to commentary about the internet on the internet. It’s a uniquely meta experience, one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed on the newly released Never Post. The first few episodes are loaded with questions about life online – what is Posting Disease? Why does “influencer voice” exist? When did metrics replace community? And who better qualified to host than Mike Rugnetta, veteran internet dweller and creator who adds this to his array of podcast and video content. Mike shares recent news about the web and story segments with guests, with playful interludes throughout. If the first few episodes are indicative of what’s to come, we can expect curated and creative observations from unexpected pockets of the internet. Listen now >>

GASBAGS
Recommended by Francesca Turauskis

If you’re after a masterclass in how to do a buddy podcast to a professional standard, give GASBAGS a go. Given that the show is run by audio-producers, Anna Perrott and Sophie Little, it’s no surprise that this podcast sounds great, and part of the draw for me was the meta-audio concept. Anna and Sophie speak to us from their non-profit podcast studio SOUNDYARD, and offer much-needed transparency to the ups and downs of running a small business as women (with questionable maths skills). This show could have been dry… but the friendship chat is wholesome without being bloated, and the solid structure keeps episodes under half an hour. As a bonus for audio fans, every episode has podcast recommendations and a ‘found sound’ of the week to keep your ears attuned. I am slightly obsessed. Listen now >>

The Plug Podcast
Recommended by Takudzwa Mudiwa

The Plug Podcast connects content creators of colour to creative opportunities. Host Simone Pennant lets us into the conversations her community are having about TV (for example, the response to Jeremy Hunt’s comments comparing British TV to “Hollywood” even though it is facing a major economic downturn) and just four episodes in, there is already a never-ending list of names providing a mix of concrete advice and words of encouragement. This is a thoughtful podcast for creatives of colour and is very informative for anyone who is just interested in TV. The name ‘The Plug’ comes from the idea that someone provides you with valuable resources and information and that is exactly what this podcast does. Listen now >>

Recommendations from our newsletter:

Camlann – one for fiction fans, this podcast is inspired by Arthurian legends but set in a post-apocalyptic Wales. The music and voice acting are both very moving. Listen now >>

Weird Transfers – A series to add to your list of football podcasts, this well-thought-out mini series comes from Sumit Sharma of Breaking Atoms: The Hip Hop Podcasts. It looks into weird football transfers and ran during this season’s transfer window. Listen now >> 

Serial: Series Four – It needs a recommendation as Serial has once again made it to the top of the charts, but the new looks into the truth of Guantánamo in the way only Serial can. Listen now >>

The 3 Body Podcast – Obsessed with the Netflix new series? Did you know there is a companion podcast? There’s a lot to unpack in the 3 Body Problem, and the podcast goes deeper into aspects that are difficult to address in the sci-fi format. Listen now >>

Dead River – Dead River is the story of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster — the Mariana dam collapse — that claimed the lives of 19 people. This isn’t just a tale about the tragedy itself though, but rather a look at the relationship with nature, pursuit of happiness, the impact of greed, and the overnight disappearance of centuries-old traditions. Listen now >>

Oceans: Life Under Water – A collaboration between Crowd Network and Greenpeace UK, this podcast aims to connect people to the world we don’t often see under water. Each episode brings us a couple of interviews and some watery sound design as wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster Hannah Stitfall meets freedivers, whale experts, and much more. Listen now >>

Untold: The Retreat – A fascinating first story for the new investigative series from the Financial Times. Untold: The Retreat examines a group that promotes the intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year to practise Vispassana, but some participants feel a deep sense of terror, and even a break with reality after such deep meditation. Listen now >> 

Want weekly recommendations for new podcasts? Make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter to find out about our favourite new shows as they are released! Do you have a new podcast you want us to know about? Get in touch here.

The post The best new podcasts of SPRING 2024 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

At the end of the day, all I can offer to readers are my favourite shows – and those aren’t necessarily going to appeal to all listeners. I was lucky enough to have the space to recommend a WIDE range of podcasts in my guest issue of Pod Bible magazine, and was absolutely thrilled to have Closet Confessions as our cover stars for that issue. As a team, we offer listeners The Pod Bible Polls to highlight some of the podcasts we’ve featured over the past year in the magazine and online. But we’ve no doubt missed podcasts that deserve to be in there!

So in an attempt to share as wide a range of podcasts as possible, and get a group consensus on some shows worth checking out, I’ve once again asked our team and contributors to give you their recommendations.

I’ve asked them to recommend the new show they think stands out, and the podcast that has been their personal favourite in 2023. This is the Pod Bible ESSENTIAL guide to some of the best podcasts in 2023…

Katie Stokes

New pod of the year: Ghost story

Ghost stories are usually too spooky for me, but throw in some family drama and true crime? I’m hooked. Ghost Story is Tristan Redman’s investigation into the haunting from his childhood, a murder in the house next door and a hunt for answers beyond the veil. This series keeps humanity at the centre of the eerie by questioning: who is the teller of our stories? And what, or who, lingers? A thrilling and hearty story to round off 2023. Listen here >>

Pod of the year: Lights Out

One of the superpowers of podcasting is the ability to create intimacy between creator and listener. Lights Out does this beautifully. This anthology documentary series curates deeply personal stories, some of loss, hope or belonging, and each with a reminder: there is more that brings us together than divides us. The show will no longer be broadcast by BBC Radio 4 but I hope they find a new home in 2024 to continue their refreshing work. Listen here >>

Tom Nicholson

Best new podcast: Where Are You Going?

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones. Host Catherine Carr has quick chats with passersby all over the world – dog-walkers in Ely, God-botherers in New York City, sightseers in Amsterdam – which open with the titular question. Where they go from there is always surprising, and Carr is excellent at gently and non-judgmentally probing to find the amazing stories and people walking past all of us every day. In a year when more I’ve been narked than ever by pods spinning out thin stories over too many episodes, each 10- or 15-minute pod is exactly the size and shape its stories need it to be. It’s a really beautiful thing. Listen here >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Believe in Magic

The scam-artist exposé is still massive, but none have managed to perform such a thorough and unexpected turnaround in my sympathies. Megan Bhari became a huge star within child cancer fundraising circles, managing to work wonders while fighting her own brain tumour. Then parents of other children with cancer started to suspect something was off, and went to war with Megan and her mum Jean. The story is gripping enough through its first four episodes, but soon Megan is in real danger and something altogether darker, and more distressing colours the final eps. A report into Megan and Jean and their relationship provided a chilling coda. Listen here >>

Takudzwa Mudiwa

Best new podcast: The Girlfriends

Novel’s The Girlfriends tells the story of doctor Bob Bierenbaum through the perspective of his ex-girlfriends, led by Carole Fisher, what was first mindless gossip and jovial investigation between friends, about the enigmatic local eligible bachelor became something more sinister. The highlight for me is Alayne, the sister of one of Bob’s ex’s Gail Katz. With haunting sound design the story of Gail is the main thread and her sister tells it with such admirable strength. Listen now >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Love, Janessa

Janessa Brazil actress/model image alone has been used by many scammers to lure men into online relationships and give up thousands in cash – there tends to be scepticism when it comes to catfish scammers especially toward the victim. BBC World Service and CBC’s Love, Janessa handles it with sensitivity and thorough research, Host Hannah Ajala unravels a story of the business of a catfishing and the emotional weight it can have on a victim but also it asks the question who is the person behind the image? Listen now >>

Laviea Thomas

Best new podcast: Springleaf

James Acaster has one of those personalities that makes him the perfect storyteller. His tongue-in-cheek one-liners, iconic comedic timing and sharp wit are all loveable aspects of his work and his delivery. Springleaf is up there as my top pick for the Best New Show for 2023 because of its great storytelling and unexpected plot twists. It perfectly bridges the gap between humour and knowledge and is jam-packed with an incredible bunch of comedians, and guests. Listen now >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Redhanded

I’m a serious lover of all things true crime, and I love that Redhanded covers a range of it from a-list celebrities to horrifying small-town investigations, family secrets and more. The show is carried by Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, who bring to life trauma, gruesome horror and more in short but engaging episodes. I love that the show provides a multitude of facts, whilst touching upon popular conspiracies. Listen now >>

Adam Richardson

Best new podcast: Where Are You Going?

The audio equivalent of people watching, Where Are You Going? has been a revelation for me this year. As someone who works from home for most of the week I’ve really missed the mini interactions that a commute or a visit to the shops during your lunch break would create. With WAYG? Catherine Carr asks strangers in the street one simple question – where are you going? – and the answers are always hard to predict. With episodes recorded across the country and beyond, there’s a rich variety of voices to be heard from and stories that have me laughing in one moment then shedding a tear in the next. My only gripe is that the episodes aren’t longer. Listen here >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Sliced Bread

An older podcast but one I only got into this year is the BBC show Sliced Bread, a series hosted by Science presenter Greg Foot (who helped get me and my daughter through lockdown with his daily live YouTube shows) that investigates the latest hyped up products or fads to see if they really are the “best thing since sliced bread”. Topics such as personalised vitamin subscriptions, manuka honey and ice baths have been looked into, and while your preconceptions may often be correct before listening, there’s always an abundance of fascinating facts and take-aways to help inform future purchasing decisions. Listen here >>

Mimi Jones

Best new podcast: A Little Queer Podcast

Queer role models are far easier to discover these days, but sometimes it’s nice to have someone just explain everything for you, and A Little Queer Podcast does that perfectly. Capri Campeau and Ashley Whitfield are beautifully honest about their experience about their queer journey, queer identity in tv and film, your first queer relationship and so much more. They are eccentric and loud, and discuss so many areas of the queer experience in such a casual and accessible way. The perfect podcast for baby gay’s or people looking to understand queer culture. Listen here >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Welcome To Nightvale

Anyone that ventured into Tumblr back in its golden age will have heard of this show. It’s weird (like weird weird) but if you’re into fiction, the supernatural, and conspiracy then you’ll love it. I’ve stumbled across it before but have loved bingeing it properly this winter while wrapped up warm. For those few who aren’t familiar with the show, Welcome To Nightvale is a twice monthly radio show from the fictional town of Nightvale, where every conspiracy theory is true. Tune in for ‘The Weather’ which consists of jazzy beats, listen in to local gossip about the lurker in the lake, and enjoy the smooth voice of your host across some 200+ episodes. I also love the fact there is so much fan content for this show to consume across every platform you could think of – even a novelisation of the show! Listen here >>

Jason Reed

Best new podcast: Oh What A Time

The podcast cover looks as beautiful as a Pod Bible Magazine cover and that’s because our illustrator Dan Draws actually created this podcast cover!. Oh What a Time mixes history and comedy, forging discussions around bizarre laws to more weightier discussions such as healthcare through the ages and The Great Depression. The presenters, Elis James, Tom Craine, and Chris Scull, all bring knowledge and laughs as well as knowing when to sit back and play the ignorant layman when required. To say it’s easy listening almost implies an insult, but it’s actually testament to the relaxed and skilled conversations. And you will end up googling to double check some facts. Listen now >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Pod Save the UK

If you need satire in your life, then this is it, but it’s more than that… The Mash Report’s Nish Kumar is able to provide some laughter to the weekly news, but he also has an obvious need for activism, looking to solve issues with the show’s expert guests, and Coco Khan uses her background in journalism to bring the best out of the guests and topics. The big news stories are covered in ways conversational media isn’t able – if you want information and inspiration, then this is the weekly podcast for you. Listen now >>

Zainab Amer

Best new podcast AND Favourite podcast of the year: The Retrievals

Susan Burton narrates a five-part journey into Yale Fertility Clinic, unveiling a nurse’s conviction for tampering with fentanyl vials during egg retrievals. Susan remains objective as she rotates between the women and unfolding events, exploring the complexity of determining the ‘right’ outcome. It feels like the first time the women collectively and publicly process their dismissed pain by Yale. The collision of motherhood, female pain, and the law during sentencing, coupled with the judge’s reconciliation, is gripping. A compelling listen. Listen now >>

Diana Safieh

Favourite podcast of the year: #DEAD2ME: The Interviews

The supporting podcast to the Crime+Investigation show #Dead2Me, this show goes deeper into the harrowing experiences of those close to victims of crimes stemming from digital-age dating. Each episode, hosted by criminologist Dr Honor Doro Townshend, features heart-wrenching testimonies from families and experts, exploring the warning signs of domestic abuse and digital dangers. Listen now >>

Francesca Turauskis

Best new podcast: Bitter/Sweet

In a year where we’ve continued to see a lot of new podcasts, and a lot of high-budget investigations, Bitter/Sweet has offered a palate cleanser for me. The show is not unique in its focus on memorable meals, but it delivers these stories in such a special way. We hear guests’ stories through gentle nudges from host Natasha Miller asking them to explain atmosphere, smells, and more. But these are sandwiched between Natasha’s own story unpacking grief for her mother twinned into her own meals. Natasha has a lovely voice for the storytelling – she won the Bronze ‘Best Narrator’ at the Audio Production Awards – and the emotional vulnerability adds so much. Plus, episodes are not bloated, fitting under twenty minutes. Listen now >>

Favourite podcast of the year: Sherlock & Co

According to my podcast app, I’ve listened to over 500 different shows this year, and Sherlock & Co. is the one I am most excited to see pop into the top of my queue. I’m a bit of a sucker for a Sherlock Holmes retelling in films and television, but I generally don’t listen to fiction podcasts. I think this gets past my barrier because it feels like a documentary recorded in real time. We even interviewed John and Sherlock earlier in the year, and pulled them up on a few of the ethical questions around true crime podcasting. Fittingly for a Sherlock retelling, this show feels really clever – the production is really smooth, yet through little audio-in-jokes we still get the impression that John is a bad producer. I love the reference to Sherlock’s hobby with the dramatic violin-based music, and even though I know the stories, these versions are different enough to be interesting all over again. But my favourite aspect of Sherlock & Co. is how surprisingly funny it is. I laugh out loud at John far too much, and I’ve needed that from my podcasts this year. Listen now >>

The post The best podcasts of 2023: The ESSENTIAL list! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

That’s why we’ve once again asked some of our writers to recommend the shows they think you should check out, before sharing some of the shows we’ve recommended in our newsletter…

Why?
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

I have a soft spot for podcasts which get academics on to talk at length about their extremely specific niche, and another soft spot for podcasts which talk about big, wobbly ideas which make me feel a bit freaked out. In the middle of this Venn soft spot is Why?, which has asked a series of cosmically huge, reality-shaking questions in an accessible, approachable way. Is time real? Why do we remember things that never happened? What will humans look like in a million years? Why? has such an easy-going, brain-expanding feel to it that it’s hard not to be charmed. Listen now >>

No Worries If Not
Recommended by Katie Stokes

Feminist writer and cartoonist Lily O’Farrell (aka @VulgaDrawings) has a gift for on-the-nose commentary about internet culture and how it affects women. Luckily, she’s brought these observations to podcast form. If you’ve personally been the victim of an ‘almond mum’, worry about the effects of digital domesticity, or have been on the receiving end of an ‘alpha male’ monologue, you may find solace in this show. Relevancy on the internet is fickle, yet this podcast manages to live in the present – a show about right now, for right now. Give it a listen to stay up to date, but of course…no worries if not! Listen now >>

What Now? With Trevor Noah
Recommended by Mimi Jones

South African comedian and political commentator Trevor Noah has taken the dive into podcasts with “What Now? With Trevor Noah” and we’re loving it. It is a witty, pleasing on the ears show, following conversations with various celebrities exploring their views on anything and everything. The point isn’t to change your mind on them, or their subjects they discuss, but, in Trevor’s words, purely to walk away saying ‘Huh, that gave me something to think about’. The conversations are dynamic, deeply personal, political without being too heavy, and with Trevor’s classic comedic flair. Listen now >>

28 Dates Later
Recommended by Laviea Thomas

28 Dates Later is the *perfect* podcast to tune into if you’re a single woman in your early 20s. More specifically, if you’ve ever been, or currently are trapped in the hell hole that is dating apps. This podcast officially launched Monday 6th November and has been a hot topic for me every week since. It’s the perfect giggle and makes you feel better about your own dating life, whilst simultaneously giving you a sense of reassurance. It’s a confidence boost to remind yourself to not put all your worth in the hands of the people you date. Listen now >>

Stories from the Village of Nothing Much
Recommended by Takudzwa Mudiwa

iHeartPodcasts’ Stories from the Village of Nothing Much podcast is warm and present. Yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai takes us through a fictional village where she points out the simple pleasures of life; twinkling of stars and snowflakes falling. She explains that the stories are from her previous podcast Nothing Much Happens: those bedtime stories intended for the listener to fall asleep have been altered in this new show for general relaxation. First episode we hear “Bustle in the City” – it is holiday themed and we are let into the protagonist’s personal traditions with friends and playful disputes with family. With atmospheric sound design; a quiet drum roll here and the opening of a local gift shop there paired with gentle narration this is perfect to wind down. I’m excited about what other stories they have. Listen now >>

The Rest Is Entertainment
Recommended by Jason Reed

Sometimes you get a combination of people who are startling close to your fantasy dinner party – we all have those, right?! For me journalist Marina Hyde, and all-round great TV bloke Richard Osman, could quite possibly be on my invite list. Individually they are sublime communicators, the type of people who make any conversation amusing and interesting, and together their chemistry makes you listen with a comfy ease. The podcast is ultimately a showbiz review column… which sounds like my personal idea of hell, but they make the concept work. Whether reviewing the latest documentaries, or giving a quasi obituary to Henry Kissinger, the show is about as eclectic as it gets. You either passively converse along with the presenters on the topics you’re familiar with, or you begin to seek out the ones that you’re not. It’s quite lovely! Listen now >>

Other recommendations:

Carrie Jade Does Not Exist

A six-part series hosted by Sue Perkins and journalist Katherine Denkinson, Carrie Jade Does Not Exist is the story of how one woman, who took on over six different identities, infiltrated the lives of vulnerable people, and lied her way into gaining their trust. Based on an expose article written by Denkinson in 2022, this show mostly takes the form of Denkinson telling the story – with a little help from actors reading quotes from the victims – whilst Sue Perkins asks questions and makes comments. This might fill the gap for listeners needing a catfish-controversy. Listen now >>

Unlawful Killing

Every year, hundreds of people die at the hands of the very institutions that are meant to keep us safe – police, prisons, and mental health services. Bereaved families are left fighting for answers, demanding justice, and campaigning for change. This podcast from the charity INQUEST is hosted by Lucy Brisbane and Lee Lawrence, and shines a light on state violence, death, grief and resistance. Listen now >>

Springleaf

Congratulations to one of our former cover stars (issue #015), James Acaster on the launch of his new podcast. Springleaf! is based on James Acaster’s undercover cop alter-ego Pat Springleaf. Well. Pat was under cover under recently, but now he’s sharing his wire recordings from the drug-smuggling operation he’s been trying to take down since 2013. Or, is Springleaf is a new comedy crime podcast written by and starring James Acaster? With jokes, sound effects and original music by (American-Nigerian multi-instrumentalist) NNAMDÏ, Springleaf is a true(ish) crime podcast, created with the support of crowdfunding, and the Wall of Thanks lists the names of all the backers. Listen now >>

Heirs of Enslavement

Heirs of Enslavement explores the Transatlantic slave trade, but at it’s core, it is telling the story of two individuals – Clive Lewis MP, a descendent of the enslaved, and Laura Trevelyan, a descendent of the enslaver. In the spirit of bringing different perspectives, we’ve shared two reviews on the podcast: One from a writer that can relate to Clive, and one from a writer that can relate to Laura… Listen now >>

Legacy

Legacy is a new history podcast, produced between Wondery and Goalhanger Podcasts. Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve. Starting with the very topical Napoleon, they ask whether the man was a hero or a tyrant – or both? (And, while we’re at it, was he even short?) Listen now >>

Climate Decoded

With multiple hosts and a diverse array of guests Climate Decoded strives to make climate science and policy accessible and engaging for everyone. The first episode on the IPCC in particular gives a fascinating insight to the processes, limitations and biases behind reporting climate science. Listen now >>

The post The best new pods of WINTER 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

We all have a moment from our past that still weighs heavy in our thoughts. A point in time where life could have gone another way. A thing you should have done, something left unsaid, a moment that still feels definitive years after it happened.

And that is exactly what the Heavyweight podcast is all about. Originally from Gimlet Media – now a Spotify Studios production – each episode, host Jonathan Goldstein, works with someone who has contacted the show to go back to the past and readdress a situation or event that they feel has impacted their life in some way.

Over the seven years that the show has been running, Jonathan has helped people confront childhood bullies, fulfil dying wishes, reconnect with lost loves and answer the sorts of questions that drift into your head just before you fall asleep and keep you up all night.

I love this show. I would go as far to say that I’m obsessed. It’s the only podcast where I go back and listen to my favourite episodes in the way that some people rewatch episodes of Friends over and over again.

I think the reason for this is that the show is so incredibly human. Jonathan is trying to help real people, with real dilemmas. The sort of things that everybody will have thought about at some point in their lives.

I think we all wish we could track down a childhood bully and ask them why they chose us. Maybe you also sold your Grandad’s World War Two German handgun to buy drugs and want to get it back for him. Perhaps you’ve always wondered why your favourite babysitter just disappeared without saying goodbye or what happened to the person you sentenced to death while you were on jury duty. Maybe you’ve just been wondering why your whole family seems to have forgotten about the time you broke your arm as a child or why someone threw away the expensive painting that you rescued from a pile of rubbish on the street.

Some of these stories are huge and some don’t seem so big at all, but they are all important to the person whose story it is, and that is the beauty of the show. It’s real life. And just like real life, there isn’t always a happy ending or even an ending at all but every episode has more than one moment of real connection and genuine emotion.

Jonathan doesn’t always manage to help, but he approaches every episode with a level of compassion and humor that’s truly authentic and joyful to listen to. He starts every episode by phoning his friend Jackie and finds a way to wind her up or get on her nerves and this has absolutely nothing to do with the show itself, but it’s hilarious and a lovely insight into a long-term friendship. I love these interactions as much as the show itself! The show also has wonderful theme music, which as we all know is the mark of any decent podcast!

Heavyweight is a great example of someone using the podcast medium to do something completely different, something that wouldn’t work in any format other than a podcast. There really is nothing else like it!

My favorite episode is Episode 2 ‘Gregor’. If you’re looking for a place to start, jump in there! One of Jonathan’s oldest friends, Gregor, used to spend time with an aspiring DJ. They would hang out together, attend family gatherings and take long road trips and chat about music, religion and life. Over the years, he watched his friend’s career build momentum and start to take off. One day Gregor lent this friend a very rare CD box set called ‘Songs of the South’ and thought no more of it.
Except this friend ended up becoming the ‘bald headed, bespectacled, castle dwelling, multi million record selling’ artist called Moby and he took samples from Gregor’s boxset and these became the album ‘Play’ which went on to sell over 12 million copies and make Moby a global superstar. He never returned the CD’s and now, 20 years later, Gregor wants his CD’s back.

I’m not going to spoil the ending for you but Jonathan and Gregor end up on a road trip to LA and find themselves in Moby’s living room. Somewhere along the way Ru Paul gets involved but you’re going to have to listen to find out how this wonderful episode gets resolved.

Season 8 of Heavyweight starts on October 5th on all podcast platforms. For updates about the show head to Heavyweight | Gimlet  and follow on Twitter @heavyweight.

—

Tom Davies is the host of the award-winning mental health podcast, Proper Mental. He started his show after his own challenges with mental ill health and has gone on to interview some of the world leading experts in mental health and mental illness. He also delivers talks about mental health, his own challenges and the learnings and insights he has gained from over 150 recorded conversations about all aspects of mental health. Proper Mental is available every Monday on all platforms. Instagram: @propermentalpodcast // Twitter @propermentalpod // propermentalpodcast.com

The post THE G.O.A.T // Tom Davies votes for ‘Heavyweight’ appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The official British singles chart turned 70 last year, and while we’re all obviously delighted for that venerable institution to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee it should probably be looking over its shoulder. There’s another numerical ranking that might one day overtake it as the barometer of exactly what the nation is thinking about and feeling: the podcast charts.

There are a few different podcast charts around, and they all seem to have slightly different ideas of what’s popular and who’s going, as Smash Hits used to put it, down the dumper. For this article, we’re going by the Apple Podcasts chart, and this is just a snapshot of things as they stand this month. That said, there’s a fair few instant hits, which have clamped themselves to the upper reaches of the charts on launch and might be difficult to dislodge.

The Diary of a CEO

Part business heavyweight, part new age sage, all podcast behemoth, Dragons’ Den’s Steven Bartlett is Britain’s highest profile example of a very 2020s archetype: the CEO who’s almost as much a spiritual leader as someone who knows how to stick a business together. His podcast is all about finding that thing every business leader with their LinkedIn recommendations likes to talk about now, purpose, with the help of guests who’ve been down to the bottom as well as up at the top, much like him. Listen now >>

The Rest is Politics

One of the many unexpected narrative turns of British politics in the last few years is the rebirth of Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart as centrist dads with a runaway hit podcast reflecting on domestic and international politics twice a week. Originally pitched as a classic odd couple dynamic – Campbell the trenchant Labour scrapper, Stewart the old Etonian liberal Tory – the reason it works is actually that they realise they’re so similar, and happy to do what they call ‘disagreeing agreeably’. They’re both fuming with the government, for one thing, and both good at taking a global view on the news. Listen now >>

The Therapy Crouch

After sewing up the football podcast game, Peter Crouch of – let me check my notes here – The Peter Crouch Podcast has planted a long, surprisingly cultured foot into relationships podcasts. If you’re doing a relationship pod these days you’ve got to do it with your real life partner, and Abbey Clancy is ideal for it: funny, opinionated, and only too happy to take the mick out of her husband. Each time they dissect a difficulty your love life might throw up, from working out when to move in together to the perfect proposal. Listen now >>

Sh**ged Married Annoyed

Of course, The Therapy Crouch follows in the footsteps of the relationship pod that set the new agenda: Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s giant hit passed 100 million downloads more than a year ago, and doesn’t look like it’ll slow down any time soon. The format is loose and freewheeling, the better to let the Ramseys’ easy chat flow and bring forth the relatable laughs about the day to day irritations and agitations your nearest and dearest are so good at landing in your life. Listen now >>

The News Agents

BBC heavyweights Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall all left the corporation earlier this year to lead Global’s banner current affairs pod, and even this early on in proceedings it looks like the gamble’s paying off. Through the late Johnson collapse, the Tory leadership scramble, the Truss interregnum and the Sunak ultimatum, they’ve been around Westminster and the party conferences reporting with authority and confidence. Listen now >>

The Rest is History

The other big hit in the Goalhangers production house stable sees historians Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland (not that one) digging through corners of history both familiar and obscure, and also using it as a means to look at current affairs with a longer view than most other podcasts tend to take. The series of World Cup-themed specials, which dive deep into a slice of a competing nation’s history, have been particularly good. Listen now >>

Off Menu

You know your podcast is doing quite well when you collab with a menswear brand on a run of tie-in t-shirts. Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s food pod is that kind of big, and you can see its popularity in the rash of podcasts where guests think up a fantasy thing: festival line-up, film screenings, that sort of thing. But Off Menu still does it best, and draws on guests as varied as Stanley Tucci, Rina Sawayama, Ed Sheeran and Rylan – plus Rylan’s mum, who called in during their recording because she was worried he’d died. Listen now >>

ZOE Science and Nutrition

The breakout health and science podcast in the UK became what it is with a very simple idea: if you ask questions people are worried about, and have them answered by experts, listeners will flock to you. Each time presenter Jonathan Wolf takes one question – what’s the best natural sugar alternative? Is dairy good or bad for you? How do ultra-processed foods affect your body? – and sits down with a scientist or health professional to talk over the latest research. It’s reassuringly clerical and straightforward, but never hectoring. Listen now >>

Scamanda

Amanda Riley is dying of cancer. Everyone knows that. It’s heartbreaking, especially given that she’d just got her life exactly how she wanted it: the perfect husband, the perfect house, the perfect life. But as that none too subtle portmanteau title implies, all is not what it seems. Amanda’s friends and family believe her, though, and start to raise money for her treatments – more than $100,000. Over the seven years she kept up the charade, the lengths that she goes to to keep her ruse going become more and more extreme. Listen now >>

Brydon &

Aw, lovely, cuddly Rob Brydon. There are more than enough interview podcasts out there, but Brydon’s is more than just another rush job with a shoehorned plug for whatever the guest is promoting. His easy warmth and feel for a story make podcasting an obvious home for him, but interestingly, Brydon’s often at his best as an interviewer when his guest pushes back a little, and encourages him into comic running battles with a gently waspish edge. Steve Coogan’s recent appearance is a case in point. The third series of his chats has pushed him back up the charts. Listen now >>

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Ready for more recommendations? Make sure you check out our lists in the Recommendation section.

This article was originally published in December 2022 and last updated on 1st August 2023.

The post The 10 most popular podcasts in the UK appeared first on POD BIBLE.

As much as I love sharing my weekly recommendations in the Pod Bible newsletter, I’ve missed the chance to share a more in-depth analysis of the podcasts I’ve been enjoying. So, like all the best franchises, I’m rebooting our ‘new podcasts’ feature. And like any superhero reboot, it’s going to look every-so-slightly different. Coming to a screen near you in time for Spring – my essential list of the best new podcasts to add to your queue…

The Last Soviet

I’ve noticed several podcasts have – consciously or not – been analysing the history of the Soviet Union recently. The Last Soviet does this through the story of Sergei Krikalev, the cosmonaut on the Mir space station at the time the Soviet Union collapsed. Krikalev is told he can come back to Earth, but doing so would risk Russia’s claim on Mir. So he’s asked if he could stay in space – alone – until further notice. This story would be thrilling in itself. But add to that NSYNC’s Lance Bass as a narrator telling his own story of becoming a trained cosmonaut… I’m obsessed. Don’t skip ‘The Lance Files’. Whilst not strictly part of the narrative, it had so many nuggets of amazement. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Synthetic Stories

Listening to the first episode of this show gave me a sense of things being not-quite-right. It might have something to do with the storyline (a young woman becomes obsessed with a new app called Horror World) but it’s probably more to do with the fact that This Is Distorted has made an entire podcast using AI. From the artwork, to the script, title and even the Press Release we were sent, Synthetic Stories is a podcast, about a podcast, made by… the podcast? The first episode works well as a horror genre, but the heart-warming tale of the second episode doesn’t quite land – perhaps because the writer doesn’t have a heart. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Pilot Season 2023

With more and more worthy podcast ideas vying for funding and attention, Pilot Season is a fantastic idea from award-winning production company Unedited. Described as ‘a mixtape of formats’, the feed showcases five new shows by letting people listen to ‘pilot episodes’ before the series is commissioned. The first episodes cover a wide range of topics, from hidden statistics of curry houses, to Reading Festival. In the first pilot, ‘Facts That Matter’, journalist, writer and broadcaster Gary Younge explains why the UK has more jobs in Indian restaurants than in industries like shipbuilding, steel, and coal – something I would never have thought about, but that is a symptom of underlying aspects of UK society. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Where’s Home Really?

When uttered by strangers it can have the effect of making people feel unwelcome, but in Where’s Home Really? journalist, restaurant critic, and Masterchef judge Jimi Famurewa flips the question to focus on the ‘home’ in the question. He asks his guests to reveal a person, a phrase, a place and a plate that best represent what home means to them. In the first episode, comedian Stephen K Amos gives us a suitably comedic take involving the News at 10 gong, whilst touching on some topics like racism – all in a refreshingly brisk 28 minutes. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bitter/Sweet

This is another show that thinks about the relationship between food and our deepest memories. Like many food shows, it asks guests to share a profound moment in their lives involving an evocative meal. But unlike many food shows, the guests’ stories are interlaced with mini-memoirs from the creator Natasha Miller (founder of Miller Libertine, a taste branding consultancy that has won several Great Taste Awards.) Bitter/Sweet is the perfect name for these narrations – the first episode hits you in your gut as she talks about Sunday lunch and her mother. With short episodes the length the need to be, there’s no excuse not to listen to this one! Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Tony Robinson’s Cunningcast

Tony Robinson has been entertaining us for more than 50 years in various forms – and now he has a podcast talking about various different things. The launch episodes pulled us straight into Tony-territory with one episode focused on Blackadder (featuring the always enteratining Miriam Margolyes) followed by one on Stonehenge, Tony’s favourite ancient landmark. Whether you love him most as Baldric in Blackadder or himself on Time Team, this podcast is going to please you. And it quite clearly pleases Tony as well – he obviously enjoys speaking to the friends and experts he has on, and has lost none of the passion for his chosen subjects, even after 50 years of being connected to them. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

My Ramadan

An Australian podcast perfect for tuning into right now, My Ramadan features experiences of Ramadan and Eid through five specially themed episodes. Sarah Malik (investigative journalist, author and television presenter) chats with her guests about aspects like navigating work while fasting, slowing down and how Ramadan connects to spirituality and self. Some of the guests are famous, others and regular Australians, but what’s worth listening to hear is the affinity Sarah and her interviewees share. In ‘The hipsterfication of Ramadan’ despite the generational gap, you can hear the joint passion behind their favourite Iftar food traditions and the frustrations of micro (and macro) aggressions. The series will culminate in a special Eid episode (21st-22nd April). Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

High Strange

Can we have sensible conversations about the possibility of intelligent life beyond our planet? Perhaps more pertinently, could a podcast be the perfect place to do that? In High Strange, Payne Lindsey (creator of Ambie-winning podcast Up and Vanished) attempts to break the stigma surrounding the topic of UFOs. Each episode, a story of unidentified activity is interspaced with news clips, speeches from presidents and interviews with experts and skeptics. The variety of references makes the argument for intelligent life more compelling, but the dramatic score underneath does make this seem more like the storytelling than a ‘conversation’. If you want to believe, but are slightly concerned about the company you’d be keeping, I’m not convinced this will change your mind – yet. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bear Brook

A man is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit. A woman’s last moments are painted out in your ears. Chilling tapes from police interrogations. We’ve been here before with podcasts right? But something about Bear Brook has captured people. Claire Jones at Lemonada called it “gobsmacking”, Hannah Veridier at the Guardian says it’s a “thoughtful podcast”. I say – it’s worth a listen if you like crime podcasts, and especially if you want to think about why you like crime podcasts. Following in the footsteps of The Trojan Horse Affair, we get a meta podcast that explains itself as it goes. After a reveal that did get me gasping, host Jason Moon talks through the narrative devices he just used “I did it, and I’m telling you I did it as a demonstration”. This is about the power of storytelling, not just in podcasts but in the murder investigations themselves. Wherever that makes the show more ethical or thoughtful, I’m unsure. But it is certainly more interesting. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Buried

This ten part series has made it into my ‘most-recommend’ over the past few months, with a few friends thanking/blaming me for the things they now know from it. Husband and wife investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor dig into the illegal dumping of waste across the UK and beyond. From a deathbed confession, to Mafia connections and possible carcinogenic soil, Buried reminds us we don’t have to look to the US for stories of corruption to unearth. Made for BBC Radio 4, the episodes have a strict run-time of 15 mins or less, making this very easy to storm through, or fit in around other listening. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

The Rewild Podcast

Wildlife filmmaker James Shooter teams up with Rewilding Europe to create this podcast as he travels across the continent. He talks to the people and highlights the initiatives in various countries that are working to return landscapes to less human-managed forms. As shows like Wild Isles highlight rewilding to a wider audience, this podcast provides a good insight to the wider picture. Monthly episodes look at different countries – the episode on ‘Seawilding’ brings to the surface (ahem) an area that is often out of sight and out of mind, but close to my own Network’s heart. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Bust of Trust: A Kid’s Mystery Podcast

Small Wardour bring out a podcast for curious kids’ – and adults – who’d like to investigate some of the biggest world mysteries. Bust or Trust asks for help to uncover the truth behind Big Foot, the Lost City of Atlantis and more with their very own Mulder and Scully hosts, “Myth Truster” Tiernan Douieb and “Myth Buster” Athena Kugblenu. It’s great fun, but also a great way to start teaching critical thinking. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Other podcasts for your list:

From Gay to Ze – Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley broke new audio-ground with their first podcast, Some Families. From Gay to Ze continues the story by celebrating the messy reality of modern families and the intersection of queer culture. We caught up with Lotte and Stu recently to talk about the show. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Dwelling – As standard housing in the UK is becoming unobtainable, Marnie Woodmeade investigates alternative homes, from abandoned buildings to lost rivers. And as restrictions on alternative lifestyles tighten, she questions what the future will hold of the people choosing – or forced into – those lifestyles. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

This Little Light – Flea, founding member and bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, talks to other musicians about their music education and evolution. First guest are Rick Rubin and FINNEAS. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

Made With Love – With an obligatory reference to his love of knitting, champion diver Tom Daley speaks to a much loved celebrity about doing what they love. Listen on your favourite podcast app >> 

Black Prose – Black writers talk amongst themselves in conversations that are revealing and so necessary. Journalist Yolanthe Fawehinmi speaks to writers of all regards – from journalists, and authors to songwriters and rappers — about their careers, top tips and writing rituals. Listen on your favourite podcast app >>

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Francesca Turauskis is an award-winning podcast producer, Digital Editor for Pod Bible magazine and the Founder and Lead Producer of Tremula Network, a group of podcasts focused on unheard stories within adventure and outdoors. She has worked with Broccoli Productions, Stripped Media, and Ochenta. She’s been a judge for the International Women’s Podcast Awards, has spoken at the International Women’s Podcast Festival and runs workshops on How to Podcast for individuals and small businesses.

The post The best new podcasts of SPRING 2023 appeared first on POD BIBLE.

So when we started thinking about the obligatory End of Year list, we decided to do things a little bit differently. Rather than limiting our enthusiasm to the new podcasts in 2022, we want to shout out a variety of our favourite shows.

We’ve asked some of our team and contributors to give us three recommendations – one new show, one indy and the podcast that is always on their app. This is the Pod Bible ESSENTIAL guide to the best podcasts we’ve listened to in 2022…

Suchandrika Chakrabarti – Journalist, Podcaster and Comedian

NEW – FOC IT UP! Comedy Club – What a great idea from comedian Kemah Bob: an unapologetic celebration of comedians of colour who aren’t cis men. Recorded at 21 Soho in central London, each episode sees three comedians each deliver a 10-minute set, then they all sit down together with Kemah onstage for a chat, aiming to give the audience a sense of what the conversation is like behind the scenes. Guests include Sophie Duker, Desiree Burch, Yuriko Kotani and, ahem, I have been on it too! Performing on that stage was electric. The podcast is a great way to discover new voices, and, because of the ever-changing combination of comedians and the live audience reaction, each episode feels thrillingly unpredictable. Listen now >> 

INDY – The Way They Were – Comedians Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate could not have known just how zeitgeisty their podcast about former celebrity couples would become, launching as it has in the year that Bennifer reunited and finally – 19 years after their original engagement – got married. The pod is inspired by the cult Tumblr, Old Loves, and it’s amazing how quickly we forget odd, or even iconic, celebrity pairings of the past – yet, discussing them takes us back to that moment in time so, so fast. The format is a nice jumping-off point for discussions about subjects that affect us all; a reminder that mulling over celebrities’ lives can help shine a torch on our own problems. Listen now >> 

PODCAST OF 2022 – Subterraneans Podcast – James Thompson launched this in 2019, but I only discovered it this year. I am so obsessed with this podcast and I want everyone to know about it! Made and presented by James Thompson (or is that a pseudonym?), his compelling, eerie monologues about London, its history, and what lies beneath its streets, dance along the tightrope between fact and fiction. It’s giving comedy, horror plus a ton of suspense along the way – and Thompson composes all of the music too, an impressive achievement. I love listening to this pod as I clomp about London – it’s almost like an audio Instagram filter, making the well-trodden streets more interesting to me as I listen along. Listen now >> 

Adam Richardson – Editor and Co-Founder, Pod Bible Magazine

NEW – Unreal – As someone who started out as a massive fan of reality TV before growing increasingly disillusioned at many show’s attempts to manufacture drama, I found Radio 4’s Unreal to be a truly fascinating listen. Ably hosted by Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale, the 10 part series revisits the iconic shows and their breakout stars whilst assessing the multitude of ethical questions raised along the way. Listen now >> 

INDY – On The Outside – I became interested in this one after speaking to Fran on the Pod Bible Podcast last year. After spending so much time walking in the local countryside during the 2020/21 lockdowns, I found myself taking a deeper interest in outdoor activities and conservation. On The Outside features a rotating panel of guests who discuss the latest news and developments relating to all things ‘outside’ – such as the Kinder Trespass or water companies dumping sewage. It’s made me passionate about a lot of things I previously knew nothing about and is really well put together. Listen now >> 

PODCAST OF 2022 – The Trojan Horse Affair – I adored S-Town so was excited and intrigued when I heard that Brian Reed’s next podcast was based in Britain and was delving into the Trojan horse scandal that surrounded schools in Birmingham in 2014. I’d read a bit about it at the time but had no idea how deep the story went and found myself flying through the episodes as they became available. The show is brilliantly produced as you’d expect it from the team behind Serial and Brian’s co-host Hamza Syed, making his podcast debut, adds a passionate and sometimes volatile presence that kept me riveted throughout. Listen now >> 

Tom Nicholson – Freelance Journalist

NEW – Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV – With so many pedestrian nostalgia pods out there now (hello, Keith Lemon’s 90s podcast) the clear-eyed journalism at work in Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale’s excellent survey of the 21st century’s definitive art form is a timely reminder that quality factual pods will find their audience. Alternately funny, painful, thoughtful and righteously angry, it both made the case for reality TV and itemised its failings both in front of and behind the cameras. Listen now >> 

Honourable mention to Marianna Spring’s Death by Conspiracy?, a perfectly paced investigation into the sad death of one man taken in by anti-vaxx propaganda in Shrewsbury.

INDY – Nothing is Real – The podcasting ecosystem around the Beatles is one of the nicer bits of podcast-dom, with the likes of Another Kind of Mind, Your Own Personal Beatles and One Sweet Dream among those finding new perspectives on a band that feels as vital as it’s ever been in the 60th anniversary year of its first single. But my favourite is the myth-busting, record-correcting deep dives put together by Beatles Brains of Ireland champs Jason Carty and Steven Cockroft. Chatty and enthusiastic but without boring on and on and on, their seventh season this year was another treat. Listen now >>

PODCAST OF 2022 –  Dead Honest – It took me a shamefully long time to get on Georgie Vestey’s interview series with professionals whose work brings them into regular close contact with our mortality and the complicated business of picking, humanely, through the wreckage. But this year it clicked, and I devoured both seasons in one go. A railway chaplain who counsels traumatised driver who have seen people take their own lives, a tow truck driver who sorts out fatal crash sites, a death doula who helps people choose how to die well: all are extraordinarily tender, and Vestey’s gently incisive questioning is a perfect fit. A third season is, I’m assured, in the works. Listen now >>

On a completely different note, Rylan’s mum calling him while he was on Off Menu because she was worried he’d died was snorting-on-the-train funny.

Francesca Turauskis – Digital Editor, Pod Bible

NEW – Blossom Trees and Burnt Out Cars  – Without a doubt I want everyone to know about this podcast! Writer and Performer Talia Randall explores who does and doesn’t have access to nature (and on a more philosophical level, what ‘nature’ even is). I found out about this one when it was in the early stages of production, and was so excited by the idea that I actually ended up doing half a day of work on it. Nature and the outdoors is such a big aspect of my own work, and Talia has addressed topics that do not get talked about enough in these spaces. It’s one of the BBC Sounds Audio Lab shows, and a great testament to the types of voices we could be hearing more. Listen now >> 

I want to give an honourable mention to Missing Pages as the ‘best new podcast I have absolutely no connection to’. I keep refreshing my app waiting for new episodes of this one! Listen now >> 

INDY – Beneath The Skin – This is a history podcast with a twist, as it uses the history of tattooing as a starting point to look at different cultural histories. It’s a new show for 2022 and a unique concept that I haven’t seen any rival to. I also think it exemplifies how ‘independent’ can still mean expert, and respect culturally sensitive topics. In truth, I don’t listen to Beneath The Skin as often as I should because the episodes are longer than I prefer (an hour is often my limit – my podcast app info below might explain why). But if you’re looking for some unique history chat, this is worth the time. Listen now >> 

PODCAST OF 2022 – Twenty Thousand Hertz – I have to say “bravo” to Dallas Taylor for making a show that is my undoubted Podcast of the Year. My podcast app told me I’ve listened to 170 different podcasts this year (and I listen on several different apps so this hasn’t counted about half…  ) but this show stands out. 2022 is the first year I have worked in podcasting full time, and Twenty Thousand Hertz has taught me so much about sound in the most literal sense – from deep fake audio to how the Netflix ident came to be. Despite being very related to my work, I will also listen in my downtime, which is a testament to the storytelling. Listen now >>

Meera Kumar – Freelance Producer, Presenter and Columnist

INDY – Wild For Scotland – I recently discovered this podcast and it is everything I need in the busy build up to Christmas. The latest episode ‘Creature of the Sea – Argyll Hope Spot‘ is immersive, relaxing and a very easy listen. It strikes the perfect balance of wonder, excitement and serenity. In addition to being an enjoyable listen, it’s lovely to hear a show focused on Scottish stories and locations. The country is incredibly beautiful but there are so many places that I hadn’t visited yet or even heard of until I listened to this show. Wild for Scotland has inspired me to travel up there more often in search of adventure! Listen now >>

NEW and PODCAST OF 2022 – This Is Dating – This show lets you eavesdrop on four dating couples, and I have loved it. It’s been featured on a few different lists this year and all I have to say is – Listen NOW >>

Samantha Downes – Pod Bible Social Media Admin

NEW – Unlicensed – I’m a big Welcome to Night Vale fan so when I heard that the writers Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor were launching a new podcast I knew I had to listen. An Audible Original podcast, Unlicensed is the story of a private investigator in Los Angeles and her new assistant, who get involved in a series of seemingly unconnected cases which lead them into a much bigger mystery. Featuring a great cast of voice actors, the story skips between viewpoints allowing the audience to get an omniscient view of the story. Listen now >> 

INDY – Best Friend Therapy – Elizabeth Day is such a huge name in podcasting that it almost feels like she shouldn’t be an indie podcast, but it’s not on a network so I think it still fits! She brought us a new podcast this year with her best friend Emma Reed Turrell, a psychotherapist. Each week the best friends discuss subjects such as making and enforcing boundaries, people-pleasing and dealing with difficult emotions like anger, jealousy and anxiety. As a recovering people-pleaser, this podcast covers a lot of topics that resonate with me and it’s a handy little dose of free therapy. Listen now >> 

PODCAST OF 2022 – Off Menu – My podcast of the year is Off Menu. This show is so popular that I doubt I need to explain the premise but just in case anyone has missed it – Off Menu is a food podcast hosted by comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster where guests are invited into the dream restaurant to pick their favourite starter, main course, side dish, drink & dessert. Even non-foodies will find enjoyment in Off Menu as the guests always have hilarious anecdotes to go along with their menu choices. Some of my favourite guests in 2022 were Rob Brydon, Jamali Maddix, Richard E. Grant and Claudia Jessie. Listen now >> 

Diana Safieh – Freelance Writer, Host of We Knew The Moon Podcast

NEW – HeidiWorld – Part true crime, part guilty pleasure, this podcast on 90s ‘Hollywood Madam’ Heidi Fleiss. This podcast is full of celebrity scandal and sexual hypocrisy which will leave you wishing to smash the patriarchy. Listen now >> 

INDY- Palestine Deep Dive – Giving a platform to oft-ignored Palestinian perspectives and voices. For your initial foray, check out the recent episode with former director of UNRWA Andrew Whitley on the historic responsibility that Britain has in Israel/Palestine. Listen now >> 

PODCAST OF 2022 – Women Who Rebrand – Championing female empowerment, and covering topics such as divorce, microdosing, adult diagnosis of neurodiversity and internet romance scammers, this podcast is always hilarious and informative. Host Sareta might just be the most fabulous person on the planet. Listen now >> 

What were your favourite podcasts in 2022? Let us know in the comments if we missed any of your favourites!

The post The best podcasts of 2022: the ESSENTIAL guide! appeared first on POD BIBLE.