The Christmas lights are up, the turkey is in the oven, everyone is wearing flimsy paper crowns, and your two favourite uncles are standing in the corner having a weird conversation about batteries… Welcome to The Luke & Pete Show!

The festive season is upon us, and Luke and Pete are bringing you all the world’s stunningly strange stories. From intergalactic conspiracy theories to Elon Musk’s latest attempts to be cool, and lots of questions about Hulk Hogan, all your party conversation starters are covered! … Maybe.

To celebrate we’ve asked Luke and Pete to predict the other co-host’s dream Christmas – what could possibly go wrong?

So, where do you think they are waking up on Christmas morning?

Pete: In his house – rubbing his eyes as he trudges downstairs for a morning of present opening in the bosom of his young family, pausing only to part the Venetians to see if the lady over the road has illegally put her cones out on this special day.

Luke: Pete will be woken up on Christmas morning in his workshop/shed down the bottom of the garden by one of his dogs. He will rapidly come to the realisation he’s bought hardly any presents, and the ones he’s bought he can’t find. The ones he can find he has no idea who they’re for.

What gift would they be most excited for opening?

Pete: One of those bags of 10 quid jamon crisps he keeps talking about, or a book about UFOs. A book as big as an Alsatian about Eisenhower’s continuance of the New Deal, 1956-57.

Luke: Anything tech. Anything that can be construed as some kind of superfluous gadget; an electric tin opener, some thermal paste perhaps.

What would be the one thing that would ruin Christmas for them?

Pete: Me turning up. God, should I?

Luke: I could see the toilet being blocked and he will insist on trying to fix it rather than leaving it alone. For some reason I have an image of him looking confused holding a plunger in a marigolded hand

How does their dream Christmas end?

Pete: Snoozing in front of Only Fools and Horses. Luke’s Dad rocks up with a newly reconditioned park bench and he stretches out on it. Closing his eyes and dreaming of being probed by ALF or something.

Luke: I think of him falling asleep in an easy chair with a glass of something nice on the go, wearing a Christmas hat at a jaunty angle, his glasses falling slightly down his nose and his mouth slightly upturned in satisfaction.

For all your festive frivolities this holiday season, head over to The Luke & Pete Show wherever you get your podcasts.

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This column was created with Stak. Stak produces podcasts that entertain and inform, including some of the UK’s biggest and most popular shows – boasting a combined 4 million monthly listen and over 45 years of podcasting experience. Whether recording remotely or in our broadcast-grade London  studio, we special in every stage of the podcasting process. To find out more or get in touch, visit our website at stak.london.

The post Luke & Pete’s dream Christmas! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

It might be getting cold outside, but the Championship season is hotting up! And that’s not just because West Brom’s mascot is a man dressed as a boiler. From top to bottom, there is narrative, drama and more narrative!

The Second Tier podcast keeps you in the know all year round. Every Thursday and Sunday, hosts and self-confessed Championship obsessives Ryan Dilks and Justin Peach bring you match reactions and tackle all the topics that fans really care about. It’s all the best storylines, with less of the xG!

So forget the Radio Times’ Christmas TV guide. We’ve got you covered with all the games you need to watch this Christmas from the most entertaining football
league in the world!

IPSWICH TOWN vs NORWICH CITY
12:30 Saturday December 16th

Justin: The East Anglian derby hasn’t been contested in almost four years which means the bitter rivals have plenty to catch up on. That day, Ipswich were beaten 3-0.

But fast forward to 2023 and Ipswich have been cruising this season under Kieran McKenna. Norwich, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency in the midst of lots of changes upstairs, meaning that Ipswich have the upper hand in this fixture for the first time since 2010 – when Norwich were a third-tier side. There will be more than bragging rights on offer in this fixture at Portman Road.

BIRMINGHAM CITY vs LEICESTER CITY
20:00 Monday December 18th

Ryan: Did someone say Wagatha Christie: Part 2?! This fixture sees Birmingham boss Wayne Rooney reunited with Leicester striker Jamie Vardy for another round in the ring –
except this time it probably won’t involve phones ending up in the sea.

Birmingham City wanted “no fear football” when Rooney was appointed – but it’ll be hard to stand up to Leicester’s Maresca-ball, which has seen them take 36 points from their opening 13 games.

The sub-plot to this is just too juicy to ignore and my fingers are firmly crossed that Vardy lets his impulsive thoughts win if he scores in this one.

IPSWICH TOWN vs LEICESTER CITY
19:45 Tuesday 26th December

RD: The best Christmas present of all. These two sides both had the best starts to a season in Championship history, and Boxing Day will be the first time they clash.

The big difference between the two is Leicester have been freshly-relegated from the Premier League with a massive budget, while Ipswich are newly-promoted from League One. It’s a mouth-watering fixture with so much at stake, including getting one over their chief rival to win the whole division.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY vs HULL CITY
17:15 Monday 1st January

JP: What better way to kickstart a season than a win on New Year’s Day? Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to grab three points after a disastrous return to the Championship following League One promotion last season.

Expectations are completely different on Humberside though, with the ambitious Club President, Acun Ilicali, funding a promotion challenge for Hull City.

An emphatic Ozan Tufan hat trick was the difference in the reverse fixture in August when optimism was still in the air at Hillsborough. However, three points will be vital if the club are going to steer clear of a drop back into League One. Expect a supercharged atmosphere at Hillsborough.

As the Championship kicks into high gear this festive season, Second Tier is your ticket to the real action. Join hosts Ryan Dilks and Justin Peach every Thursday and Sunday for match reactions and discussions on the hottest Championship topics. From the East Anglian derby’s revival to the intriguing clash between Ipswich Town and Leicester City on Boxing Day, the Championship promises unforgettable moments. Don’t miss out on the real blockbuster stories; tune in to Second Tier: The Championship Podcast, where every match is a story in itself. The football festivities begin here!

You don’t want to miss new episodes of Second Tier which you can find wherever you get your podcasts.

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This column was created with Stak. Stak produces podcasts that entertain and inform, including some of the UK’s biggest and most popular shows – boasting a combined 4 million monthly listen and over 45 years of podcasting experience. Whether recording remotely or in our broadcast-grade London  studio, we special in every stage of the podcasting process. To find out more or get in touch, visit our website at stak.london.

The post A very Championship Christmas with Second Tier! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Whilst you could get them some equipment – microphones or headphones – but you always run the risk of getting the wrong one. So my suggestion is to follow the lovely Icelandic tradition, and give them a podcast-related book. There are loads of books based on podcasts or by podcasters, and the best thing is – they are super simple to wrap too!

So if you’re after books based on podcasts, here are eleven of the best.

Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed.
by Chris & Rosie Ramsey

The husband and wife have been chatting about almost everything on their chart-topping podcast for nearly five years now, and they’ve committed their conversations to paper too. Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed by Chris & Rosie Ramsey goes through “the ups and downs and ins and outs of love, sex and relationships”. Author Daisy May Cooper said she “Laughed ’til I cried reading this. An absolute triumph!”. Find out more >>

The Rest Is History: The Official Book from the Makers of the Hit Podcast
By Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook

Released earlier this year, The Rest Is History is a great addition to the podcast from historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. It gives you a whistle-stop tour through the past by answering questions such as ‘did the Trojan War actually happen?’ and ‘how did a hair appointment almost blow Churchill’s cover?’. This is also a great present for history fans! Find out more >>

Diary of a CEO
by Steven Barlett

Steven Barlett’s podcast is consistently one of the most popular podcasts in the UK, so when he released his companion book earlier this year it was big news. The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business, Marketing and Life is partly based on interviews from his show, and promises to teach the reader principles ‘rooted in psychology and behavioral science’ that can apply to any industry. Find out more >>

What’s That Lady Doing?
by Lou Sanders

The host of Cuddle Club is a regular face on television and a regular voice on podcasts, but this step into literature is a new medium for her. And it’s worth saying that What’s That Lady Doing? shows a new side of Lou in an incredibly sincere memoir. As one review said “A memoir with this much rape and alcoholism in it has absolutely no business being so funny. But it is fucking hilarious.” Find out more >>

From Gay to Ze
By Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley

Lotte Jeffs and Stu Oakley broke new audio-ground with their first podcast, Some Families, which talked about the logistics of LGBTQ+ parenting. Their book The Queer Parent: Everything You Need to Know From Gay to Ze breaks literary ground as the first LGBTQ+ parenting book to ever be published by a major author. As the writers said to us earlier this year “Isn’t that insane?”. Find out more >>

It’s A Continent
by Chinny Ukata and Astrid Madimba

Chinny Ukata and Astrid Madimba educate and entertain listeners about the history of Africa with their podcast It’s A Continent. The book follows in its footsteps, appreciating the identity of each nation and exploring key historical moments that have shaped the continent, in an easily digestible, satirical (and shady) format. I was super excited to see the mention of Pod Bible in the bio at the start because we featured the podcast as a great women’s history podcast way back in 2021! Find out more >>

Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial
By Rabia Chaudry

Serial is often credited with starting the first podcast boom – it has won every major award for broadcasting, including the first-ever Peabody awarded to a podcast. The epitome of the true crime genre, it is steeped in its own controversy. Rabia Chaudry’s book delves into the case on a much wider level, offers new content and evidence, and questions aspects that were only touched on – or not even reported – in the podcast. Find out more >>

How To Fail
By Elizabeth Day

Another hugely popular podcast, there are twelve whole seasons of How To Fail to catch up on. Elizabeth Day has spoken to hundreds of people about their failures and what it taught them. The book shines the light more on the author and is described as ‘part memoir, part manifesto’. This is a great one to give someone so they can start their new year on a positive – or learn to embrace the negative. Find out more >>

Welcome to Night Vale
by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

Whilst the Welcome To Night Vale podcast is in the style of a radio show, the book is a more traditional narrative. There are three book tie-ins to the series, and in this first, nineteen-year-old pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is determined to uncover the mystery of “King City”. Other books in the series are It Devours! and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home. Find out more >>

Women vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film
By Helen O’Hara

Empire magazine’s ‘geek queen’, Helen O’Hara, explores women’s roles – both in front of and behind the camera – since the birth of Hollywood, how those roles are reflected within wider society and what we can do to level the playing field. The podcast and book were released as a joint venture and therefore feed into each other really well.  This book ticks the boxes for anyone who likes cinema, podcasts or books. Find out more >>

The Breakup Monologues: The Unexpected Joy of Heartbreak
By Rosie Wilby

One of our regular writers, Rosie has done the full circle from writing her book, to making her podcast, and back to writing books. The Breakup Monologues is the book that came out of her podcast of the same name, and Rosie explore the psychology of love and heartbreak by drawing on her own and others’ experiences. You can read more about the journey in our interview with her. Find out more >>

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The Holiday Season is a documentary podcast that takes a detailed look at director Nancy Meyers’s 2006 Christmas classic, The Holiday. Written and produced by Sam Clements and Louise Owen from 90 Minutes or Less Film Fest, and with music by Martin Austwick, it returns each Christmas with episodes that dive deep into the facts and fictions of the film.

Last year saw some special episodes to celebrate the 15th anniversary of a film that has become a cult classic. If you haven’t listened yet, be sure to check out the interview from leading man Jude Law (Graham) and an episode dedicated to Director Nancy Meyers, featuring answers from Meyers herself.

We caught up with Sam to ask about his particular love of The Holiday, and making The Holiday Season.

We usually ask if you have a dream guest, but you had an email interview Nancy Myers herself last year, and Jude Law! But is there anyone you’ve been trying to pin down but haven’t managed?

It was a thrill to speak to Jude Law and Nancy Meyers, I’d love to invite the rest of the main cast on the show (Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Kate Winslet) But my dream guest would be composer Hans Zimmer, whose work I adore and is a long time Nancy Meyers collaborator.

Sam Clement in the pub Jude Law and Cameron Diaz filmed in in Shere, Surrey.

You have a couple of podcasts about films – what is it about The Holiday that made you devote a podcast to it?

I genuinely adore the film. I’ve been in love with it since 2006 when I first watched it at the cinema.

I think romantic comedies and Christmas films are often seen as “light weight” subjects by the film journalism, and maybe aren’t taken as seriously as other types of movies. With The Holiday Season I wanted to celebrate the work that goes into BOTH of these genres, through the lens of The Holiday.

Do you re-watch the movie every year before recording?

I never stop thinking about The Holiday! I watch it in full a couple of times each year but also watch a lot of clips, interviews, behind the scenes things as we make the show, so feel like I know it quite well.

Why podcasting? What is it about the format that appeals to you?

I like that me and my wife Louise (who edits the show) can make a fairly expansive document on The Holiday, from our living room, without too much additional resource. Podcasting can be such an expressive medium and it’s uniquely placed to make a bond with the audience.

We’re making this based on our love of the film, and not for a commission or a job, and podcasting is probably the only medium we can make something of professional quality, using our experience of the format with tools we already have in the house.

What’s you’re favourite fun-fact about The Holiday that you’ve learned from making The Holiday Season?

So many! But I think I love the stories around dressing the village of Shere for its winter scenes in the height of summer. The crew sent all residents Christmas trees and decorations to put up in their houses in case their windows were in shot!

Which episode of your podcast means the most to you?

It’s the most thorough and time consuming podcast I make but I do love that it’s given me a good reason to speak to people involved in the film. It was a dream come to true to talk to Nancy Meyers – and hear that she’s listened to the episodes – but I also love our interview with Jude Law. I’ll have to tie between the director and actor shows!

Anything else that you’d like to tell our readers?

Whether you’re obsessed with The Holiday, or have a passing interest in Christmas films, this is the show for you! We’ve made 8 or so episodes so far – and we have a new episode coming out for New Years Eve this year, so now’s a good time to catch up ahead of our latest ep!

Listen to The Holiday Season now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. 

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Whether you’re celebrating these holidays yourself or simply want to learn more about them, we hope you enjoy our selection!

Did we miss an episode? Let us know in the comments or get in touch info@podbiblmag.com!

The post Pod Bible’s Playlist of Holiday Podcasts appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The popularity of the Christmas special is not a new one as for years, we’ve waited in earnest for our favourite soaps, sitcoms and even music artists to whack out a festive episode or album, and this appears to be no different for the world of podcasting.

It’s no secret that podcasting offers one of the largest ranges of genres from comedy to serial and it seems that all are providing listeners with something special to mark the festive season.

We’ve compiled a list of our most beloved festive episodes to see you through the last minute tree hanging, the making of your Christmas dinner or even some private time away from prying family members or in-laws.

Wednesdays 

Best friends Melissa and Sophie are bringing back the cultural importance of Wednesdays (shout out to the Mean Girls). The ladies are here to chat about boyfriends, help with your dilemmas, and of course, drink some wine. Join the ladies as this week they discuss dilemmas with a festive twist. Listen now >>

My Dad Wrote A Porno

To celebrate their 90th birthday, Abbey Road Studios invited the My Dad Wrote A Porno team to record Part One of two Christmas specials for 2021 in Studio 3! McCartney, Bowie, Winehouse…and now, Flintstone. Listen now >>

Shrine Podcasts: Christmas special

In the second of two Christmas specials, Shrine Podcasts has teamed up with fellow Line Of Duty podcast host Craig Parkinson for a deep dive into his time on one of the BBC’s most popular TV shows ever. This one airs on Wednesday, December 15. Listen now >>

The Tommy, Hector & Laurita Podcast – Christmas Special

Unpredictable and funny, carefree and intimate, join Tommy Tiernan, Hector Ó hEochagáin and Laurita Blewitt as they sit around the table in the henhouse at the bottom of a garden in the West of Ireland. Tommy, Hector and Laurita will be sharing gifts and festive stories in their first-ever Christmas special airing on Thursday 23rd December. Listen now >>

Everything Under the Sun with McFly’s Tom Fletcher

In this festive edition of Everything Under The Sun, Tom Fletcher from McFly (and Strictly Come Dancing, of course) answers Henry’s question, “which country does Santa deliver his presents to first, last and middle?” Listen now >>

The Rude Retellings – Read by Brian Harvey

Brian Harvey is back with six new episodes in The Christmas Collection of The Rude Tellings. The former East 17 star begins the podcast series with the classic poem, “Twas The Night Before Christmas”. Listen now >>

Off Menu

Looks like the Off Menu boys are also rocking around the Christmas tree with the launch of their festive special episode. What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with an absolutely disgusting instalment of Off Menu, where comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster are joined by a very festive Harry Hill Listen now >>

BBC Good Food

Is it your first time cooking Christmas dinner? Or are you an experienced cook who wants to boost your kitchen skills and get into the festive spirit? Throughout December, chef Tom Kerridge reveals his secrets, tips and tricks for the party season. Listen now >>

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But however brilliant your Christmas is or isn’t, at some point you’ll be overcome with the urge to lie down in a dark room and stay very still for a while. That’s where your podcast Christmas specials come in.

Gathering around the fireside (or at least a nice bed of fireside FX) for an especially cosy chat is non-negotiable for most big pods now, but there’s a wealth of great Christmas-adjacent episodes out there too.

The Allusionist – Ep 41, Getting Toasty

Out on the frozen tundra of Antarctica, scientists Amy Lowitz, Christine Moran and Allison Barden can see the South Pole marker. Or they would, if there had been any daylight for the last four months. Shake off the plasticky excesses of the season with a meditative chat about exactly what working at the South Pole does to your body and your mind. Those elves should unionise. Listen now >>

Wireless Nights – Destiny’s Child, Christmas 2018

Jarvis Cocker’s Radio 4 show has returned for a new run recently, and this Yuletide edition is a good place to start with the back catalogue. We bump into people who slot into the Nativity story – a shepherdess, a stargazer, a baby born from a miraculous birth – as well as hearing a story about a Christmas spent adrift at sea. Listen now >>

The Boring Talks – An Underwhelming Christmas, 2018

After perhaps the most intensely underwhelming Christmas of all underwhelming Christmases in 2020, this one’s going to feel pretty sweet for a lot of us. But invariably, there’ll be a point at which you wonder what all the fuss is about. Rhodri Marsden comes over all Scrooge to compare the reality of Christmas with the reality of it in the UK, from white Christmases to grotty grottoes. Listen now >>

Christmas Past – The Eggnog Riot

In the spirit of keeping Christmas with us all year round, the Christmas Past podcast runs 12 months a year and mixes interviews with Christmas filmmakers, Christmas stories, new Christmas singles and bitesize history lessons. This is the latter; the backstory to ‘Jingle Bells’ is interesting enough, but a riot which broke out at West Point military academy in 1826 is too delicious. Listen now >>

Field Recordings – Singing Gate, Dorset

It ain’t Christmas until someone’s suggested a big walk. Whether you end up moving or not is irrelevant; the feeling that you should definitely go on a big walk has to be aired. If it feels like too much of an effort, try this short from Field Recordings, recorded on the winter solstice last year. No intro, no framing; just the sounds of Bronkham Hill ridge, dotted with ancient burial mounds and barrows. Atmospheric. Listen now >>

Off Menu – Ep 42, Christmas Special with Greg Davies

Off Menu wheels out the big stand-up guns for its Christmas specials, and over the last couple of years they’ve had Sarah Millican, Russell Howard, Joe Lycett and Nish Kumar on. The best, though, is the Taskmaster himself: Greg Davies. Invariably the best Off Menu menus are those of people who give the impression that eating is a terrible inconvenience, and Davies is no exception. No starter, no side, a steak cooked medium and a finale of Sussex pond pudding makes James Acaster’s brain fold in on itself. Listen now >>

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You may have noticed that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and is there a more enticing podcast description at this time of year than this? Welcome to Bah Humbug: A Christmas Movie Podcast. I had a talk with host, Helen O’Hara, about the podcast, the importance of Christmas films and the best movie Santas of all time…

It may be fairly obvious as to what this podcast is all about, but where did the idea come from?

Helen O’Hara, from Bah Humbug podcast

I have a horrible weakness for a terrible Christmas movie as well as the good sort, so when I sat down this year to watch the first of the new crop on Netflix (Operation Christmas Drop, god help us) I wondered if enough people were talking about them: what makes them work, what doesn’t work, and how important it is for them to be good anyway… But while I wanted to talk about the slightly rubbish ones, I also thought it was important to have something good in there too, so it wouldn’t be all irony and snark. I mean, that wouldn’t be very Christmassy. Hence the premise of the podcast: I find some dubious thematic connection between these new films and some older favourites.

It has undoubtedly been a challenging year, so how important are Christmas films? Do they really provide nostalgia and comfort or is it all a bit more cliched and bah humbug?

There is a desperate need for Christmas movies in 2020. If anything is going to get us through these last few months before Dolly Parton’s vaccine arrives, it’s going to be goodwill towards men – and these films are full of that. They’re also full of nostalgia, yes, and the comfort of stories we have heard a thousand times. But there’s also a wish fulfilment aspect this year of all years: it’s gorgeous to see people gathered together in large groups, even if we can’t do the same.

Everyone has their list, the naughty list of tawdry Christmas films, but also the premier league tier of comfort blanket films. What would Helen’s list look like?

Call me an old fuddy duddy but there’s nothing to beat It’s A Wonderful Life. Of course I love Die Hard, we all love Die Hard, but it’s not quite as Christmassy so it loses a few points there. And then all the classics: Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Santa Claus: The Movie, Lethal Weapon, you name it.

There must be a secret to a good Christmas film, the right mix of comfort, warmth, community and unity, so what are the ingredients needed to make a truly wonderful festive movie? And how much do we rely on the classic prose?

I think there ultimately needs to be some sort of positive message, whether that’s one about the importance of saving your estranged wife from terrorists at Nakatomi Plaza or the huge effect that one good man’s life can have on the small town of Bedford Falls. I think the best Christmas movies celebrate what we consider best in ourselves and each other: there’s a reason that A Christmas Carol, a story all about trying to be a better person, is the most reproduced story in the whole genre.

The conversations on Bah Humbug have proved eclectic. With Helen taking the lead, guests also provided some much needed yuletide commentary.

Honestly it has been a blast so far. We discussed wartime – and peacetime – military propaganda as it relates to the silly Netflix romance Operation Christmas Drop; what each generation’s conception of Santa Claus says about the sociological health of our society; whether Pottersville looks a teensy bit more fun than Bedford Falls; and whether it’s really possible for there to be three women who look so like Vanessa Hudgens that even their husbands can’t tell the difference.

It’s a burning question and one that needs consideration – who are your favourite Santas (is there a plural for Santa?) depicted on the screen?

There have been some great movie Santas: I have a lot of time for David Huddleston in Santa Claus: The Movie, James Cosmo in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, and of course the improbably attractive Santa played by Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles. But the definitive movie Santa for me is Richard Attenborough’s version in the remake of Miracle On 34th Street. He is arguably the kindest of the bunch and certainly the most gentle. Maybe I just saw it at the right age, but I think he’s perfect. That said, I have a lot of time for Billy Bob Thornton’s Bad Santa too. Easily the funniest of the bunch.

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Bah Humbug: A Christmas Movie Podcast with Helen O’Hara is produced by the good people at Stripped Media and is available on Acast and all good podcast platforms. Make sure you listen and add your own festive cheer to the proceedings.

Read other interviews by the Pod Bible team.

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