Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

My name is Rob Bell. I’m a TV Presenter and Engineer and more recently I have indulged my love of audio to host and produce Sketchplanations The Podcast, along with lifelong friends Jono Hey (designer, author, illustrator) and Tom Pellereau (The Apprentice winner from 2011 and business partner of Lord Alan Sugar).

It’s a podcast for the curious-minded who enjoy hearing about the more nuanced and hidden aspects of life in the modern world; be it science, behavioural economics, nature, psychology, business models, or even domestic life hacks. Each episode is based on a hand-drawn sketch by Jono that simplifies a phenomenon or observation. We discuss what it means for us in our own lives and how it might be of use to our listeners; to make life easier, more rewarding or just more fun.

Rob Bell

How did the idea for the podcast develop?

Sketchplanations started as a hobby for Jono about 10 years ago; producing a new sketch each week, explaining things he found interesting. He now has a collection of around 900 of them.

More recently, I was looking for a new creative project outside of TV that I could make my own and being able to share and enjoy it with close friends was really important to me. Tom and I had very casually attempted to start a podcast years before but without any real structure or anchor-point, we never got anywhere with it. This time, it was Tom who suggested we make a podcast to accompany Sketchplanations and we discussed in detail how we might pitch the idea to Jono – already very busy with work and family life, not to mention the added task of creating and publishing a thought-provoking sketch each week. Thankfully, Jono loved the idea as there was always so much more detail to the topics he covered in his sketches and through the podcast, we could explore that detail. We all got our hands on some microphones and away we went.

Additionally, we were all aware that the podcast would be a great way of having a regular date in the diary to get together, have an interesting chat, and a bit of a laugh doing it.

Sharpen the Saw sketch

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

I remember speaking with The Comedian’s Comedian podcast host Stuart Goldsmith at an event he was comparing in 2009. He put me on to The Adam & Joe Show podcast (which I think was from their BBC 6 Music days by that time) and I never really looked back. I felt like I was part of a family of listeners who all shared a love of serious silliness.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I love talk radio. I always have done.

From the age of 8, I grew up on the outskirts of Paris and I would tune in to a very static-fuzzy, mediumwave BBC Radio 5 most evenings to listen to football commentary or the latest news analysis. At university I hosted a show on student radio and when I first moved to London I worked on various volunteer and hospital radio stations. And despite now working in TV I definitely consume more audio than visual content in my downtime.

In the last couple of years of making TV documentaries, I became increasingly frustrated that (rightly so) as the presenter, I have very little control over the final version of what actually gets broadcast.

But having my own podcast, the buck stops with me. I write my own scripts. I’ve devised a format and style. I keep in what I feel is good and edit out what’s not. Principally though, I get so much joy from sharing something I feel truly proud of.

Podcasting lets me broadcast what I want, and how I want, and putting the work in to produce each show feels just as comforting and familiar as switching on 5Live all those years ago.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I know that my podcast is heavily influenced by The Elis and John Show (by comedians Elis James and John Robins). I’m a massive fan and have listened loyally for years. It’s a similar type of production to The Adam & Joe Show in that it’s a silly, buddy podcast. And whilst there’s ribbing and micky-taking, it’s all done lovingly and with that family of listeners again at the centre of it all.

I think the same can be said for the other 2 podcasts I love to listen to: Three Bean Salad and Tailenders. It’s the friendship and relationship between the hosts that I totally buy into and feel part of as a listener – and it’s that magic combination I try to create with Sketchplanations The Podcast.

Finishing Lines sketch

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

Because of the buddy-show style I’m trying to create, Sketchplanations The Podcast only has guests about 40% of the time. We try to let the sketches dictate the conversation but if there’s an expert or someone particularly well versed in the topic and sketch we choose for each show, we’ll try to get them on and have had some wonderfully fun and insightful episodes because of that (the 2-part episode we recorded with botanist James Wong is the perfect example of this).

That said, I’d happily have Adam Buxton or John Robbins come on the show and choose any sketch they liked. Having listened to them both for so long, I feel like I know them a little bit and I’d love for them to feel part of my listenership family as much as I feel part of theirs.

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

I really enjoyed our episode on something called Crossmodal Perception – how our senses interact with each other to influence what we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. For example, coffee tends to taste less sweet if drunk from a white mug and potato chips tend to taste stale if we can’t hear the crunch! It was really interesting to spend time talking about something we all experience every day without necessarily noticing and take a bit of a dive into the science behind these interactions.

It’s a great example of the podcast doing what I always wanted it to do: explaining something from the world around us that listeners will then hopefully notice a little more in their own lives, and perhaps enjoy telling others about too. We also love to hear our listeners’ stories and experiences of each topic we cover.

Do you have a favourite episode of the podcast/one you’re most proud of?

One of my favourite shows to record was the Bumper Pack Quickfire episode entitled Life on the Road – where we swiftly covered 12 different sketches that had something to do with cars, driving and roads. And to add a little theatre, we recorded it whilst actually driving up the M1 motorway on the way to a weekend away with friends. I hasten to add that one of those friends was our dedicated driver whose hands were firmly clasping the steering wheel rather than a microphone.

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

You can find all our episodes, along with full transcripts, show notes and of course the wonderful sketches themselves at sketchplanations.com/podcast. Additionally we’re all relatively active on social media – Rob Bell: @rob.bell on Instagram, Jono Hey: @jonohey & @sketchplanations on Instagram, and Tom Pellereau: @inventor_tom on X.

Listen to Sketchplanations The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast apps >>

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com

The post Sketchplanations The Podcast: Big Ideas explored through Little Pictures! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

We spoke to Jacob Hawley last week on the website about his thoughts on the evolving world of podcasting and now we’ve caught up with him on Pod Bible TV!

Pod Bible co-founder Stu Whiffen chats to Jacob about his new show The Screen Rot Podcast, as well as what it was like being around in the beginning days of BBC Sounds.

The Screen Rot Podcast is a show where Jacob and his best mate Jake Farrell discuss the weirdest and worst content that’s been rotting our screens, and indeed our minds. It’s Monday Night Football for internet rubbish.

Listen to The Screen Rot Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and other popular podcast apps >>

The post Jacob Hawley on The Screen Rot Podcast and growing a community appeared first on POD BIBLE.

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!

The post POD BIBLE LISTENER POLLS 2023 – WINNERS ANNOUNCED! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

This was the fourth annual Pod Bible Polls, 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.

2022 also saw a slight change in the categories – we’re celebrating fiction podcasts for the first time in the ‘Audio Drama’ category, and a ‘News & Investigation’ poll highlights some of the big productions that came out of the UK last year.

The polls were open for the whole of December and closed at midnight on the 31st of December. Once again we received a record number of votes, but our team have now counted and verified them. We’re happy to see there’s a good mix of classic podcasts, indy shows and new productions amongst the winners and runners-up.

Pod disciples, these are your Pod Bible Poll Winners for 2022!

COMEDY

WINNER: OFF MENU

2nd – MY THERAPIST GHOSTED ME

3rd – HELP I SEXTED MY BOSS

After being pipped to the post last year, the Off Menu lads are back to prove they are the kings of the comedy podcast genre! Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s chats with celebrities about their dream menus continues to make us laugh and salivate in equal measure. It has been a massive year for Off Menu, with more merch and live shows – including their first trip over the Atlantic. So it’s no surprise their fanbase has grown and once again rallied behind them to make it to the number one spot.

My Therapist Ghosted Me and Help I Sexted My Boss have come in the second and third slots. Clearly listeners are still craving good chat between good friends!

INTERVIEW & CONVERSATION

WINNER: THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

2nd – THE DIARY OF A CEO

3rd – HAPPY PLACE WITH FEARNE COTTON

Another return for a previous Pod Bible Polls winner, this marks the third win for The Adam Buxton Podcast. The podcast recently celebrated it’s 200th episode with old friend and regular podcast guest, film director Joe Cornish. It’s that familiarity that’s a part of keeping fans returning to Adam’s show. It’s no secret that we are fans of Adam’s and have enjoyed our own conversations with him over the years, and this poll position goes to show that he’s lost none of his flare after all these years.

Given how high it often sits in the charts, we’re not surprised to see The Diary of a CEO has polled for the first time, and previous magazine cover star Fearne Cotton has placed 3rd for the second time, having done the same in our 2020 poll.

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

WINNER: BROWN GIRLS DO IT TOO

2nd – THE GUILTY FEMINIST

3rd – EFFIN HORMONES

Brown Girls Do It Too have done it! They’ve toppled Deborah Frances-White and The Guilty Feminist off the top of the best Lifestyle & Culture category for the first time since our polls began. Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani’s show explores the messy realities, fantasies, sexpectations and navigating life and relationships as British Asian women. It’s another show that has had an astronomical year, including a tour of their live show. They also appeared at the London Podcast Festival in September and hosted the Audio Production Awards in November.

The Guilty Feminist drops to 2nd place, but the Indy podcast Effin’ Hormones builds on its success at the British Podcast Awards this year – and with fans such as Idris Elba cheering them it’s no wonder.

FILM & TV

WINNER: KERMODE & MAYO’S TAKE

2nd – FILMS TO BE BURIED WITH

3rd – CLASH OF THE TITLES

It’s a new WINNER, and a new show, but an old pairing that have been reliably among the most-downloaded podcast hosts of them all in the UK. When Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo left the BBC earlier this year, we didn’t have to wait long for Kermode & Mayo’s Take to fill the gap. The show is reassuringly familiar but the fresh format brought their takes on film and television to new listeners. Those listeners certainly voted in their masses this year! Read more about Kermode and Mayo’s move from radio to podcasting here >>

Brett Goldstein’s Film’s to be Buried With drops to second place, but considering how busy he’s been (staring in Marvel films, gracing the cover of our magazine) it’s understandable. Clash Of The Titles holds steady in third place for the second year in a row, proving there’s still plenty of films ready to do combat.

MUSIC

WINNER: NOTHING IS REAL

2nd – FOLK ON FOOT

3rd – ROCKONTEURS

Our list of the best Beatles Podcasts has been one of our most popular articles on the website this year, so it’s not that surprising to see the Beatles showing up on top here. But Nothing Is Real is a popular podcast on its own merit, even outside of the Beatles fame. Jason Carty and Steven Cockroft have enough Beatles knowledge to win the Beatles Brains of Ireland quiz, but they share stories in an accessible way for listeners.

Folk On Foot comes in second, a show that serves the folk community music with conversations and sounds of nature through plein air interviews. In a year of celebrity podcasts, we have Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp coming in to third place with Rockonteurs, the show he hosts with bass player to the stars Guy Pratt. And after several years of a BBC Sounds show topping this category, it’s somewhat nice to see the independent shows dominate this year.

SPORT & LEISURE

WINNER: BEEF’S GOLF CLUB

2nd – THAT PETER CROUCH PODCAST

3rd – FOOTBALL RAMBLE

Even though it’s new, Beef’s Golf Club has already grown a big community who have helped it top this year’s polls. One of the things that may have led to its success is that this show so universal in who can listen. It is very welcoming to beginners and teaches the basics, rather than serving commentary to people who are already golf fans.

Despite the epic summer of football, football podcasts didn’t quite hit the target this year despite their ongoing popularity. That Peter Crouch Podcast drops to 2nd place after winning last year, and Football Ramble drops to third after its 2021 runner-up position.

NEWS & INVESTIGATION

WINNER: CAN I TELL YOU A SECRET?

2nd – THE REST IS POLITICS

3rd – THINGS FELL APART

In the first new category, the big publishers are using their platform to bring cutting-edge journalism to UK podcasts. The Guardian’s Can I Tell You A Secret? takes a sensitive look at the subject of stalking. Produced by an award-winning team, it features moving sound design from the fantastic Axel Kacoutie (a contender for the hardest-working-person-in-podcasting at the moment). We named this as a possible Podcast of the Year in our last magazine, and the voters seem to agree.

The Rest Is Politics comes in second with its unlikely double act of Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, and Things Fell Apart was a short series from BBC Sounds, hosted by Jon Ronson, that helped us make sense of the culture wars.

AUDIO DRAMA

WINNER: THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

2nd – ELIZA: A ROBOT STORY

3rd – JACKIE THE RIPPER

This is our first year for highlighting fiction podcasts in their own category, and The Magnus Archives has proved it’s still a classic of the genre. A horror fiction podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, the show ran for nearly 6 years before coming to end this year. If you’re new to fiction podcasts, this is a great place to start.

Crowd Network’s Eliza: A Robot Story proves popular even though it came out later in the year, and shows that a sci-fi audio drama can reach a wide audience. And the gory story of Jackie The Ripper from Stak made its way to third place.

OH. MY. POD.

INDEPENDENT PODCAST

WINNER: PROPER MENTAL PODCAST

2nd – PICTURE THE SCENE

3rd – ECONOMICS IN TEN

The ‘Oh My Pod’ Independent Podcast poll is open to literally every independent podcast. Shows that win this category are hitting the all the right marks with their listeners and creating communities that can’t stop talking about their show. It is fiercely contested each year and seeing a podcast that focuses on mental health get to top of this list is testament to the way it resonates with listeners. We featured Tom’s show way back in June last year, and would like to think that helped its growth!

Once again, HUNDREDS of podcasts were put forward for this category to a massive thank you and congratulations to every podcast mentioned!

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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 2023 will be another incredible year for podcasting and look forward to celebrating it with another set of Pod Bible Poll’s at the end of the year!

The post POD BIBLE POLL WINNERS 2022 – WINNERS ANNOUNCED! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

At the start of December we asked listeners to vote for their favourite podcasts of the year within a number of categories. All nominees had featured in Pod Bible Magazine, on the Pod Bible Podcast or on this very website in 2021, but the final Independent Podcast category was open to all. 2021 also saw the introduction of the ‘Informative’ category, which allowed us to celebrate the podcasts that have educated us the most over the past year.

The polls were open for the whole of December and we received a record number of votes. The independent podcast category received the widest range of suggestions yet and we’re excited to check out a number of shows we hadn’t been aware of!

Voting in the polls closed at midnight on the 31st of December and all votes have now been counted and verified.

Pod disciples, we present to you, your Pod Bible Poll Winners for 2021!

COMEDY

WINNER: HAVE A WORD

2nd – OFF MENU

3rd – ROB BECKETT AND JOSH WIDDICOMBE’S PARENTING HELL

After back to back wins in 2019 and 2020,  Off Menu have been knocked off the top spot and there’s a new Comedy Poll Winner in town! Congratulations to Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale, the two men behind the wildly popular Have A Word.

Each week Adam and Dan, alongside a plethora of special guests, chat about anything and everything, and they have a bloody good laugh while doing it. Check out their YouTube channel for full episodes and highlight clips (and to instantly become jealous of their lovely studio set up).

Visit the Have A Word website for the best ways to listen.

INTERVIEW & CONVERSATION

WINNER: JAACKMAATES HAPPY HOUR

2nd – THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

3rd – RICHARD HERRING’S LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE PODCAST

Like Have A Word, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour is the second podcast to win their category after their first nomination and let us tell you, they received A LOT of votes. On each episode Jaack and co-ost Stevie are joined by an array of the internet’s best celebrities for full and frank conversations about the lives they lead and how they found themselves where they are today.

Listen to JaackMaates Happy Hour exclusively on Spotify.

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

WINNER: THE GUILTY FEMINIST

2nd – TAN FRANCE’S QUEER ICONS

3rd – TALK ART

The first podcast to bag a hat trick of wins in the Pod Bible Poll Winners, Deborah Frances-White and The Guilty Feminist have won best Lifestyle & Culture podcast in 2019, 2020 and now 2021! In each episode Deborah and her guests discuss topics ‘all 21st century feminists agree on’ whilst confessing the insecurities, hypocrisies and fears that underlie their principles. Can they make it four in a row next year….?

Deborah was our cover star for Issue #013 of Pod Bible Magazine which you can read here.

Listen to The Guilty Feminist on Acast or visit the show’s website.

FILM & TV

WINNER: FILMS TO BE BURIED WITH

2nd – OBSESSED WITH…

3rd – CLASH OF THE TITLES

What’s better, winning an Emmy or securing top spot in the Film & TV Category of the Pod Bible Polls for the second year in a row? We’ll let Brett Goldstein be the judge of that, but what a year he’s had! With award winning TV shows, guest appearances on American chat shows and a return to live stand up, Brett has been a busy man over the past 12 months, so keeping up a consistent release schedule on Films To Be Buried With has been a real achievement. On each episode Brett asks his guests to discuss their lives via the films that mean most to them with his 2021 lineup including an amazing variety of film fanatics including Jimmy Carr, Teri Hatcher, Barry Jenkins and Brene Brown.

You can listen to Brett discuss the show on episode #033 of Pod Bible Podcast before checking out his extensive back catalogue on Acast. 

MUSIC

WINNER: JAMES ACASTER’S PERFECT SOUNDS

2nd – YOUR OWN PERSONAL BEATLES

3rd – THE LINE-UP WITH SHAUN KEAVENY

Is it time we all agreed that 2016 is the greatest year for music, ever? James Acaster certainly thinks so and given the popularity of his BBC Sounds show it may just be time to join him. Perfect Sounds launched last year and features James trying to convince comedians that 2016 is the greatest year is musical history. Each episode gives the opportunity to discover a new artist to add to your playlist and James does a fantastic job of getting across why he loves each one.

Listen to James Acaster’s Perfect Sounds on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

WINNER: RUSSELL KANE’S MAN BAGGAGE

2nd – GRIEFCAST

3rd – THE F WORD

On Man Baggage, Russell Kane and his celebrity panel unpack the emotional baggage that men spend their lives avoiding. With no topic off the table, Russell and his guests explore all the uncomfortable and anxiety inducing conversations that usually make men run for the door by doing what blokes do best – make daft jokes about them. You can read our chat with Russell in Issue #016 of Pod Bible magazine.

Congratulations also to Cariad Lloyd’s Griefcast on finishing in the top 3 for the third year running and continuing to make such an important and sensitively produced show!

Listen to Russell Kane’s Man Baggage on Acast or wherever you listen to podcasts.

SPORT & LEISURE

WINNER: WRIGHTY’S HOUSE

2nd – FOOTBALL RAMBLE

3rd – TAILENDERS

A trophy in your debut season isn’t a bad way to start is it? But what else would you expect from Ian Wright, ex footballer and one of the nations favourite pundits who’s enthusiasm and passion for the game shines in every episode. Each week on Wrighty’s House, Ian is joined by a rotating cast to dissect the latest results and news stories from both the men’s and women’s game. Already a fan? Keep a close eye on Pod Bible this year…

Listen to Wrighty’s House on Spotify.

INFORMATIVE

WINNER: NO SUCH THING AS A FISH

2nd – DAN SNOW’S HISTORY HIT

3rd – DERREN BROWN’S BOOT CAMP FOR THE BRAIN

As recent Pod Bible cover stars it feels fitting that No Such Thing As A Fish have topped the first ever Informative poll, a new category created to celebrate the many podcasts that educated us throughout 2021. Each week the gang discuss a new set of facts and although largely comedy based, you never finish an episode without learning something new to keep in your back pocket for the next family meal / trip to the pub / zoom catchup.

You can watch a conversation with Dan, James, Andrew and Anna here or listen to the podcast now on Acast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

OH. MY. POD.

INDEPENDENT PODCAST

WINNER: THE CINEMILE

2nd – ECONOMICS IN 10

3rd – PICTURE THE SCENE: A TRUE CRIME PODCAST

The ‘Oh My Pod’ Independent Podcast poll is fiercely contested each year and is arguably the hardest to win. It’s open to literally every independent podcast out there so to top the charts you not only need to be a good show, you also need your listeners to mobilise and get their votes in! This years winner is The Cinemile, a podcast married couple Dave and Cathy podcast their walk home from the movies. Simple huh? Over the years the show has built a loyal following and their back catalogue is ready and waiting for you to get stuck in. So go listen to The Cinemile on Acast, or listen to their appearance on the Pod Bible Podcast back in March 2020.

You voted for over 500 different podcasts in this category so a massive thank you and congratulations to every podcast mentioned! 

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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 2022 will be another incredible year for podcasting and look forward to celebrating it with another set of Pod Bible Poll’s at the end of the year!

The post POD BIBLE POLL WINNERS 2021 – WINNERS ANNOUNCED! appeared first on POD BIBLE.

How did we get here? It began in the halcyon days of summer 2018, when afternoon I was riding my bike and received a WhatsApp message from my friend James Emblow, proposing that we start a podcast based on the UK Office, with our fellow Office obsessive friends, Jack Kendall and Seth Bolton. To my amazement such a thing did not exist at this point, despite the show’s iconic status. Initially I was reluctant; none of us had any experience podcasting, and personally I did not even listen to podcasts.

However, the idea was not entirely without legs. This was a show that, ever since we met each other in various circumstances many years ago, we had quoted,  discussed and laughed about in insane granular detail. One of our number (Jack) had a background in film studies and had some experience in making documentaries; most importantly of all, he had a boom mic and an Apple Mac. Furthermore, and perhaps most critically for the show’s immediate prospects, we had a ready-made potential audience of several thousand Office aficionados in our Facebook group The Office (UK)- Greatest Quotes, to whom we could easily market it at no cost.

So – having myself coined the puntastic name “Wernham Blogg” – we began, somewhat tentatively, on a scorching afternoon in August 2018, in the spare room at James’ house., with the boom mic tentatively resting in a pint glass and a dog barking in a neighbour’s garden. Initially I wasn’t sure we were going to make it. There was so much energy in the room, but it seemed in need of some focus and discipline. “Speak into the mic!” and “we need to stop talking over one another” were common refrains.

But very quickly we learned to harness this raw energy, and, to my amazement, rather than the mixture of awkward silences and unmitigated chaos that I had feared, we ended up having cohesive sessions which seemed to fly by but in fact, often went on for several hours, in analysis of what were 30–45-minute episodes of the show. Having been very much the sceptic to begin with, I found I often didn’t want them to end. Jack was lumbered with the task of chopping it down to an incisive
and sparky 60-75 minutes or so – we were all adamant from the start that we wanted to deliver something was entertaining and reasonably concise, the sort of thing we would ourselves download and listen to had someone else made it.

The format was tight, but not a straitjacket. James set a rough agenda; I did a weekly quiz based on each episode (which usually descended into Brentish farce) and an introduction to each episode based on quotes in the show; we even had issues we came back to week after week such as the “Stitch up corner” theory, that David Brent was in fact a brilliant manager stitched up by the documentary makers.

It all just seemed to fall into place. I found myself listening to the recordings back, laughing and knowing exactly what I was going to say next as it was what was in my head then. Once I was laughing so much, I missed my motorway turn off on what was a regular commute. As the weeks went by through autumn 2018, we got through the episodes at a frightening speed, and as we put them out, the number of followers grew and grew. There would be utterly bizarre, arbitrary spikes in listenership which defied explanation; I once looked down at my phone only to see a breathless WhatsApp message from James declaring we were top of the podcast charts in South Africa.

One of our number, Seth, was living in Spain at this time, but this didn’t deter us; he just phoned in on Skype. This only served to underline how vital the presence of all four of us was to the success of the show. We could all analyse The Office, but each of us also brought our own strengths to the (literal) podcasting table. James was de facto chairman, holding the discussions together and trying to provide some structure to cling to; I was quizmaster and the comic relief, breaking up even the most intense of discussions with quotes and jokes; Seth was the psychoanalyst in chief, digging deep into the souls of the characters; while Jack provided background on the technical aspects of filming, as well as a handy “walking IMDB” knowledge of the actors involved.

Although we did not quite meet our very ambitious target of getting the Christmas specials out by Christmas 2018, we came very close, and simply couldn’t face awaiting another Christmas to complete it, so we recorded those episodes in January 2019; and so, just 5 months after starting, we had – against all odds – recorded podcast episodes covering all 14 episodes of The Office. Moreover, we were beginning to make a splash on social media, thanks in no small part to the addiction… sorry, valiant efforts… of one James Emblow. The amount of froth created on Twitter in particular, including endless meme-based Office humour, eventually began to attract the attention of celebrities and James’ attempts to get stars from The Office onto our show, suddenly seemed more viable.

Within months of completing what we thought was our final Office episode, we were reconvening to interview one of its stars, Ewan Macintosh (Keith). In the end the lure of returning to podcasting proved irresistible, and in summer 2019 we moved onto Gervais’ later sitcom Extras. With our audience and social media presence now established, access to stars became easier; we managed to successfully interview such key players as Steve Spiers, and Barry from EastEnders, AKA Shaun Williamson. So perhaps it should not have come as such a shock in April 2021 when Ricky Gervais heeded the Twitter call and said he would meet us, after After Life series 3 finished filming.

It has in many ways been a remarkable run since 2018. There are some out there who are natural podcasters who will pick something (perhaps anything) to podcast about; and there are others who have a strong passion and happen to pick the medium of podcasting to convey it. We are very much in the latter category; but we have run and run with it, and 3 years on, here we are having scored an interview which once seemed a pipe dream, the sort of thing only elite journalists could do. It is our hard work and passion, for what has ultimately been a labour of love, that has got us here.

But still: Ricky Gervais… I’ll believe it when I see it. He’s due on Zoom in 10 minutes… will the interview be a success? I’ll let you be the judge of that when you hopefully listen!

Danny Arnold is one of the hosts of The Wernham Blogg, the podcast with 4 seedy little men discussing the UK edition of the TV show The Office and Extras. In a  special episode on 9th July, exactly 20yrs to the date The Office first aired, you can listen to the interview with Ricky Gervais on ACAST, SPOTIFY, or your favourite podcast app!  

The post From Rags to Ricky // Wernham Blogg celebrates a special guest appeared first on POD BIBLE.

The podcast is a co-production between the ETT (English Touring Theatre) and Storyglass. We usually do host interviews for new podcasts, but with multiple famous hosts taking on their own parts of the 6-part series, we decided to speak to the people on the other side of the microphone. So we asked some questions of Jen Bakst (Commissioning Editor) and Robert Delamere & Richard Twyman (Executive Producers.) Here are their amalgamated answers:

What does a producer consider when taking on a new podcast job – what appealed to you about THAT PODCAST?

We’d never heard of a project quite like THAT PODCAST… That’s what got us excited about the idea.

A magazine-style podcast which meshes together journalistic storytelling, comedy, interviews with experts, testimonials from the public and creative storytelling? It was like a chemistry experiment – it was either going to blow up in our faces, or it was going to result in a really interesting new format. So we thought we’d give it a go!

Plus, what with ETT being a theatre company, we were really keen to keep working with playwrights and creative freelancers who had had their projects cancelled due to the pandemic, to enable these brilliant visionaries to keep making imaginative and important work and share it with a broad range of audiences. So together with Storyglass, we paired these writers up with some of Britain’s leading comedians, journalists and commentators to synthesize fact and fiction in a new podcast.

We were relieved and delighted to find out that this content all sits side-by-side really well. There’s an exciting alchemy in combining factual material with humorous commentary and artistic perspective.

In terms of the actual content – these are obviously very strange and unexpected times to be living in, so we just wanted to really interrogate how the pandemic has influenced every aspect of our lives: from our dreams, to our love lives, to our communities, our news, our travel, our grieving rituals…

Did you take inspiration from any podcasts in particular before you started (either as a team, or an individual)?

When we first started this project, it was the summer of 2020, and everyone was still trying to wrap their minds around how the pandemic had changed the world overnight. At some point in a meeting, one of us said something like: “I wish the UK had a version of This American Life to explain it all to us!” It was a joke, but as with all jokes made in frustration, there was a definite kernel of truth in it. The idea stuck with us.

This American Life is so iconic in the world of podcasting, with its deep-dives into existential state-of-the-nation questions, how it features voices of the public in a meaningful way, and how it goes into the minutiae of the constantly changing landscape of daily life. We wanted to do a British version of This American Life, but made from a mostly cultural perspective instead of a journalistic one. We wanted to try and put together a creative insight into the complex and mercurial question of what it means to be British today, by telling stories from contemporary life reimagined by some of the most exciting voices in fiction.

Also, an absolutely huge shout out to Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker, the geniuses behind the radio ballads of the 50s, who gave us the idea for mixing artforms in audio.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned producing this type of ‘magazine’ podcast?

We learned two big headline things: number one is – there are just crazy amounts of talent out there in every facet of British cultural life, in every nook and cranny. I mean, we obviously had a pretty good sense of that before we started. But I don’t think we were fully ready for the total breadth and depth of how the UK’s cultural scene is bursting at the seams with fascinating, diverse, imaginative, wild and wonderful artists. It was such a privilege to work with people from every discipline – performance artists, spoken word artists, drag artists, theatre-makers, storytellers, singer-songwriters, sleep scientists, journalists, sex historians, refugee human rights advocates, sex workers, app developers, novelists, travel writers, data scientists and spiritual leaders… We worked with over one hundred people on this podcast and we would have worked with a hundred more if we could have, but I think it would have broken the budget (and the team).

The second thing is – when you’re making a project that involves over a hundred people, it takes time. As the project grew and developed, we started uncovering more and more material, more stories, and more content from all our contributors. We realised pretty quickly that this was going to be a massive project that would need some deep thought and some proper nurturing of the many different pieces and artforms that were going into it. Ultimately, we’re really proud of what we’ve put out – but we also still have so many stories, testimonials, facts and ideas for creative commissions that didn’t make it into the podcast because we had to make cuts for the edit. Fingers crossed we get a season two so we can share some of our best-loved but as yet unheard materials!

You have different celebrity guests presenting each part. How did the collaboration work with the presenters?

It was such a joy to work with an amazing line up of different hosts – incredible comedians like Sophie Duker, Desiree Burch, Chris McCausland and Nish Kumar, film legends like Terry Gilliam, and top-shelf journalists like Remona Aly. Each one of them is so politically engaged, so smart and switched on, and with such a unique voice and perspective on things. It felt like, thanks to these collaborations with different hosts, each episode was refracted through a different lens, making the overall effect of the thing feel like a kaleidoscope of viewpoints. Which is exactly what we wanted for this project that is supposed to reflect the diversity of our nation.

For each one of them, we had an early-doors chat with the hosts to discuss the theme of the episode, and get their input. Then, based on those chats we’d set to curating content for the episode – interviewees, testimonials, creative commissions, etc. We eventually drafted a script for the episode and they’d change it round and make it their own.

What is something you haven’t managed to do yet with THAT PODCAST, but you would really like to work on?

Something that was new for us on THAT PODCAST was the testimonials from members of the public. So many people were really generous and honest with us in sharing their lived experiences, which ranged from the hilarious, to the unexpected, to the really really difficult.

The bummer though is that because of COVID restrictions, we couldn’t get any audio from live community events, from people on the streets, from people’s homes, things happening in the moment. Maybe in the next season, if we’re not making it in a lockdown this time, we’ll be able to fulfil our dream of having a roving reporter gathering audio from live events and gatherings, rather than doing it remotely via the internet.

How do you experience other podcasts as a listener? Can you turn off your editing ear and just enjoy shows, or do you always tune in to the things you would have done differently yourself?

We’re really happy to just enjoy what pops up in our feed, and celebrate the rich range of the podcasting world.

Because it’s still a relatively early medium, content is made at really different levels of professionalism. Some podcasts are really home-brewed and sweet, whereas others are much more thoroughly researched and supported have higher production values. There’s a really wide range out there, and no “right” way to make a podcast.

Where can Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

You can listen to THAT PODCAST… on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, and wherever you get your podcasts. To find out more about ETT, visit www.ett.org.uk. For more on Fremantle and Storyglass, go to www.fremantle.com.

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Let’s kick things off – how did your podcast come about?

We had a mini series on our YouTube channel where our subscribers would send in their dilemmas and we’d try and answer them. It was such a great series and went down so well with our audience that we decided to move it over to the podcast world. And this November we’re excited to tell you that we’ll be taking the podcast on a UK tour for seven nights of live shows! A live podcast show with our fans — what could be better than that?

What do you love about making podcasts?

We love that we’ve built a really positive and strong community, and it’s always so flattering to see people emailing in and trusting us with their really personal issues.

What is the craziest dilemma you have answered on the podcast?

There have been so many! We couldn’t possibly pick just one.

How did you come up with the name, The Girls Bathroom?

We were trying to think of the perfect place where these discussions would naturally arise. As every girl will tell you, the girls bathroom is often a place where we all flock to on a night out — and often leave with more friends than when we walked in.

Do you think there needs to be more women in the podcasting space?

Absolutely, the more the merrier! There are so many incredible women out there who would make amazing podcasts for all of us to enjoy.

What’s one hot top for the budding podcaster out there?

Be consistent and find your niche!

In The Girls Bathroom, Sophia & Cinzia want to help you with your dilemmas, by trying to make sense of these boys wasting your time, the girls trying to make your lives difficult and all the things in between. So join them for a fun but real chat in the girls bathroom! Listen now on Acast >>

@SophiaTuxford // @cinziazullo1

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Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

I’m a stand up comedian who did what every comedian in lockdown probably contemplated, and started a podcast. It’s a panel show that brings together three interesting people to contribute anecdotes based on random topics drawn from a bingo ball. The whole point of it was to bring new people together talking about things they might never have talked about before. It’s been mainly stand up comedians so far but I’ve enjoyed blending in other personalities for fresh perspectives.

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

I have been listening to Radio 4 packaged up in podcast form for years – Infinity Monkey Cage and Friday Night Comedy have been staples of my listening calendar for as long as I can remember.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I am a massive podcast fangirl but the quality and scale of the ones I was listening to was pretty intimidating and I initially didn’t really know what I could bring to it that was unique enough to justify joining the noise. I started doing a Twitch panel show in the first lockdown while I was looking for a way to stay relevant – and get attention – with stand up off the cards, and it gathered a small but quite devoted following. On one of the shows, the tech failed but I still had the audio file so I sent it out to the people that normally watched it, and they really enjoyed it.

It put an idea in my head that maybe I had found a concept that might work. There weren’t that many panel shows cutting through so felt like I might finally have something that could work. It also offered me an opportunity to be the change I wanted to see in the world, women don’t get enough representation on panel shows, now not only do I now host one, but I also have booking rights. 67% of guests have been women and non binary so far, yet my demographic skews slightly towards male listeners (56%) We’re funny, give us more shows.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

Drunk Women Solving Crime is one of my stand outs, the dream is that I can create something like that where people love it, and them, so much as a concept that even if they don’t necessarily know the panel, they’ll still listen. One of the big things I’ve enjoyed about this is mixing in established personalities with up and coming talent that I’ve worked alongside on the open mic circuit and helping people discover their new favourites. I also love Women Talking Bollocks and Rich Wilson’s Men Brain / Fem Brain – my favourite type of podcasts are the ones where you really want to join the conversations, and I always do with these.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

I’ve been really lucky that I’ve already had quite a few of them on my podcast already but Sue Perkins, Eddie Izzard, Joe Lycett, Nicky Wire and Joel Golby are all on my list. There is also a pernicious rumour amongst my friends that the whole podcast business has been an elaborate long range scheme to have an excuse to legitimately talk to Nick Cage. I can neither confirm nor deny that this was in the mix when I was deciding whether to do this.

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

No matter how prepared you are, you can’t completely control how things will go. If you have guests, how they perform can vary based on so many internal and external factors, and if you have multiple guests then the odds of keeping control are so ridiculous not even a bookie would take your money. Also, once it’s out there, you can’t control how people will respond to it. Control the bits you can, let go of the bits you can’t and lean in to the unpredictable moments.

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

Every single one has had a slightly different feel but the episode with Russell Kane, Katy Brand and Stuart Whiffen was an absolute joy to do and Elf Lyons, Taylor Glenn and Daniel Clarkson was so much fun none of us wanted to leave the Zoom recording. They’re a great starting point to get a sense of what it’s all about.

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

@PRvix on Twitter, and @comedy_arcade for the pure podcast stuff and for more from the guests. Arcade also has it’s own Instagram, @Comedyarcadepodcast.

Listen to Comedy Arcade on ACAST, SPOTIFY or your favourite podcast app.

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QCODE is a Los Angeles based audio production studio who develop innovative and immersive scripted narrative stories. Normally what would occur in the Point of Entry series is episode recommendations, however QCODE now have 13 different shows. Instead, I will recommend some of my favourite shows, as I feel if I recommend individual episodes, I will be giving away spoilers.

For people who enjoy watching television but don’t always have the time to sit down, narrative fiction podcasts are great – you can listen to the drama unfold on the go. If you are already an avid podcast listener who enjoys an interview style show, you may enjoy scripted audio because there is still an interesting back and forth, chemistry between people and great audio design – it is just at a bigger scale because the visual aspect is taken away.

BLACKOUT

The first QCODE fiction podcast release was a drama starring and executive produced by Academy Award winning Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody). BLACKOUT tells the story of a local radio DJ named Simon Itani who is based in small town Berlin, New Hampshire. One of those small towns where everyone is in your business and something shady is going on. One night a blackout occurs and Simon gets fatally shot, whilst his son Hunter Itani’s (T.C Carter) camping trip with his friends takes a disastrous turn. The whole town is turned upside down – food, medicine and essentials are in low supply.

In the midst of this Simon is determined to keep the community spirit alive with his show and continues to play selected rock tunes with his signature “Look out for each other” thrown in for good measure. A fascinating thriller where the listener is moved through the Berlin woods into the back garden of the Itanis through a random field with a crazed neighbour with a shotgun. This can only be done by a meticulous sound department team – where every detail is thought of, the eerie music is just as important as the cereal during breakfast. Along with most podcast recommendations, this is best listened to with earphones. However if you want to avoid jump scares in public, I recommend it on a loud volume at home.

With all this being said, with what has happened in the past year, perhaps indulging in an apocalyptic thriller about modern civilization falling apart, may not be the best choice for a form of escapism. The characters explore themes like control, authoritarianism, freedom of speech and justice.

With a second season of BLACKOUT featuring How To Get Away With Murder star Aja Naomi King just announced, if you choose, now it the perfect time to catch up with the first season.

Soft Voice

The second series I would recommend is Soft Voice – a psychological drama that delves into the dangers of the mind. Soft Voice (Bel Powley) is a voice inside Lydia’s head (Naomi Scott). Soft Voice is a blunt and no-nonsense entity that values perfectionism – it controls every aspect of her life down to Lydia’s diet and love life – Lydia doesn’t know any different so she goes along with it as it comes with a peace of mind and much success. It is not until one day Soft Voice stops talking and Dark Voice enters (Olivia Cooke) and Lydia’s life takes a turn in the most dramatic manner.

What it does well in the same way the TV show Black Mirror does – is it makes you question ‘what would I do if I were in that situation?’ and then it makes you sit and wonder maybe I am closer to being in that situation then I would like to admit. Think the ‘Nosedive’ or ‘White Bear’ episodes – it may seem dramatic, however if you get to the heart of what issues are being explored and take away the hyperbole – they hit closer to home.

Listening to Lydia navigate her inner thoughts is unnerving and unpredictable. She faces the same insecurities that many others do, acted brilliantly by Naomi Scott, you can hear her cleverly switch from moments of panic, uncertainty and relief – perfectly depicting the trials of the mind.

Unwanted

After you indulge in two intense podcasts you can have a go at an action-comedy. Unwanted is about two 30-year-old best friends Ben (Lamorne Morris) and Grant (Billy Magnussen). They are strapped for cash and unwilling to get a job. One day while driving they accidentally hit a woman who bizarrely just walks it off. It is not until later they find out the woman was a hard as nails runaway convict, named Shelley O’ Keith (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) worth a million pounds if found.

After much deliberation both Ben and Grant go on a mission to get that prize money. With a fun back and forth between the two main characters as they have their hand at the bounty hunter/good cop bad cop persona, this podcast series packs plenty of laughs. We are treated to our favourite movie clichés like a good old catchphrase, they opted for “LET’S DANCE!” and the evergreen “we’ll ask the questions here!” followed by silence and fumbling to develop an actual helpful question but a random debate over buying and renting whilst someone is tied up in the basement (a few episodes in and this will make sense).

Shelley is frightening and shows no mercy to anyone who crosses her path. Her no nonsense attitude is balanced well by a hilarious ex-convict named Darko (Flula Borg), an old friend who owes Shelley a massive favour after his betrayal led to her six years in jail. He runs an electronics store and seems to be more interested in leading a quiet life with the occasional trip to TGI Fridays.

With a catchy 80’s synthwave-style theme song sung by the legendary Rick Astley, and the constant mention of Arnold Schwarzenegger, for those who want their movie clichés with a fun script, this is a great introduction into scripted audio because it is still familiar but with a few twists and turns.

The post Where to start with… QCODE Podcasts appeared first on POD BIBLE.

It Happened to Me riffs on the first-person stories you find in newspaper supplements and real-life magazines, with episodes including “I joined a cult and accidentally killed its leader”, “I run a soft play centre for adults only”, “I performed magic to the man who burgled my house”. Michael is making this podcast with long-time collaborator, the comedy writer Matt Tiller. We caught up with them both to talk more about the show.

Hi Matt and Michael! Tell us a bit about the new podcast – what’s your elevator pitch??

Michael: It Happened to Me is about ordinary people with extraordinary stories to tell. Each week a guest is interviewed about the life-changing experience that happened to them. The difference is every story is made up and every guest is played by me.

Matt: Michael Spicer is doing a podcast. That’s enough for people to know it’s good without me telling anyone that I’m interfering in it and putting them off. But the proper elevator pitch is what Michael said.

Where did you ‘find’ these stories? (talk us through the inspiration for the podcast)

Michael: I’ve worked with Matt on and off for twenty years and he knew that I always loved character acting, so he suggested we come up with a podcast that plays on the idea of him interviewing me playing a different character each week. I then hit upon the idea of parodying those articles in weekend magazines where people are interviewed about the one extraordinary event that happened to them. The main source of our ideas was the weekly ‘Experience’ articles in The Guardian Lifestyle section – ‘My parachute didn’t open’, ‘I drink more than 50 cups of tea a day’, ‘I found the man who shot me’, etc. We began improvising over Zoom and it seemed to work. That’s when we got the brilliant Cup and Nuzzle involved.

Matt: We wanted to do a podcast that was funny but wasn’t just two people chatting because our conversations are probably quite tedious to anyone but us. Michael has always been a brilliant character comedian, so it made sense to find a format that allowed him to bring his creations to life. Talking to people with extraordinary stories was the kind of thing I did as a journalist and researcher on terrible daytime television shows in my twenties, so it was nice of Michael to come up with an idea that brought back haunting memories of the past.

Do you have a favourite story so far?

Michael: My favourite story is ‘I rescued my vinyl collection before my family’ because for a 15-minute podcast we cram a lot into it which will hopefully make it a very entertaining listen – the story is outrageous, the character is deeply tragic and coming up with the entirely fabricated band names in the vinyl collection was so much fun. I do love the story of the magician who performed magic tricks to deter a burglar too. That made me laugh when I heard it back anyway.

Matt: I love the fact that these are intricate little stories and the one I enjoy most as a tale is probably ‘I joined a cult and accidentally killed its leader’ because it has such lovely and, at times, horrific details. But the funniest is probably the bloke who rescued his vinyl collection before his family when their house caught fire. I know many music obsessives and, while I don’t think any would go quite that far as they are decent people, it was fun to imagine someone who took it to such extremes. And the band and song names Michael came up with are so good I want to listen to them even though they would be universally dreadful.

What’s the collaboration been like between you?

Michael: It’s the easiest thing in the world because as I say we’ve been working together for two decades so we know what makes each other laugh. He’s also more of a producer than me. I spent most of my 20s and 30s working proper jobs while doing comedy on the side whereas Matt has always been in the comedy business. He knows how to tinker with the machinery to make it work, whereas my head is firmly in the clouds trying to think of the next idea or the next joke. I think that’s why we work well together.

Matt: Given Michael’s recent and deserved success I’m just glad he continues to answer my calls. It is a relationship borne out of twenty years of failure and you can’t buy that kind of commitment.

Why podcasting? What is it about the format that appealed to you for this project?

Michael: After The Room Next Door sketches went viral, I wanted to prove I could do more than just that character and that style of sketch-writing. Podcasting seemed like a logical step because it offers the artist complete freedom to do what they want. Plus, our interview format is ideally suited to podcasts. I mean we parody that format mercilessly but nonetheless it is perfect.

Matt: It’s a joy to just create something that doesn’t have to fit a particular format or slot. And this idea gives us almost limitless characters and we’d love to do more.

Are there any big lessons you’ve learned as a podcaster?

Michael: There are some incredibly talented sound engineers out there who can edit an hour’s worth of rambling, improvisational nonsense and convert it into an entertaining, concise, and listenable 15 minutes. Quite frankly they are miracle workers and deserve all the awards available.

Matt: That you need to craft the show with as much attention to detail as you would for any other platform. As a producer, that wasn’t a surprise, but you still need people who you trust to tell you what they think of an idea, script or take. Having a production company come on board has made a huge difference and Matt Everitt and the team at Cup & Nuzzle have not only helped us shape the idea, but also made it sound really good. If we’d done it ourselves it would’ve had the ambience of two middle aged men prattling down a well while clanging a rusty bike wheel.

Finally, what is your current favourite podcast you would recommend to readers?

Michael: I adore You Must Remember This. It’s a consistently fascinating and gorgeous podcast about Hollywood’s forgotten history.

Matt: The one podcast I’ve been with from the start is one I still enjoy – The Bugle. I was a fan of Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver when it launched and I admire how The Bugle survived and evolved after Oliver’s cruel abandonment of the ship for his own HBO show while Zaltzman was left to forge a satisfying career in comedy, podcasting and cricket analysis. I’ll leave it to you to decide how our trajectories might compare.

Michael Spicer’s It Happened To Me is out now. Listen on ACAST, SPOTIFY or your favourite podcast app.

The post Michael Spicer & Matt Tiller // It Happened To Me appeared first on POD BIBLE.

Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

My name is Carl Richard. I am a Stand Up Comedian based in Reading Berkshire. My Podcast is all about the music I’m listening to each week. It’s essentially part Spotify playlist part radio show part comedy podcast.

Primarily for fans of Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul, Jazz and Knob Jokes!

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

An early Joe Rogan episode featuring Doug Stanhope and Joey Diaz or it might be a Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington one I can’t really remember.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I’m a comedian it’s now mandatory to have a podcast but I also really love music and love making playlists so when Spotify made the technology available to use full length songs in a Podcast it was a no brainer for me to have my own online radio show.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I love American comedy podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron and Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast where you really get to hear the personality of the comedians. I’m trying to combine that style with radio shows like ‘The Craig Charles Funk N Soul Experience’ and ‘The Huey Show’ So I guess I’m inspired by American comedians and 6Music.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

So far I haven’t had any guests but I would love to talk funk and Red Dwarf with Craig Charles.

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

Having to put out a weekly product is a great way to keep your brain active and don’t leave things to the last minute.

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

The tunes in Episode 1 and 2 are great but I sound a bit Partridge so start on Episode 3.

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

My website carlrichardcomedy.com is a good place to start but also on Instagram @carlrichardcomedian1.

Listen to This Week’s Playlist now on SPOTIFY!

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This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.

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But we know that many people are still asking “what’s a podcast?”, “how do you listen to podcasts?” and even “are podcasts free?”. If you are one of those people, here’s our guide for new podcast listeners.

What is a podcast?

A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading or streaming to a computer or an alternative device such as a phone. To be a little less clinical, it’s essentially a radio show that you can listen to wherever and whenever you choose without being interrupted by regular weather bulletins or travel updates.

Podcasts range from highly produced shows recorded in professional studios by major broadcasters to rough and ready homemade shows recorded on a laptop in someone’s bedroom. If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can make a podcast, making it one of the most democratic mediums around. Is it time to see what all the fuss is about?

How much do podcasts cost?

Nothing! Most podcasts are absolutely free, which makes them one of the most accessible forms of entertainment around. Many of the larger podcasts will feature adverts and some offer access to extra content or early access to episodes for a small fee, but 99% of podcasts are available for you to listen to on demand for nothing at all. There are literally millions of hours of top quality content out there for you to explore – so what’s stopping you?!

So how do I listen to a podcast?

The Spotify and Acast apps are available on all smart phones and other devices and cover a wide variety of podcasts. If you’re an iPhone user then the Apple Podcasts app should already be on your phone. The same applies for the Google Podcasts app on Android phones. Within these apps you can search for and subscribe to shows. When you subscribe, the latest episodes will be downloaded to your phone without you having to seek them out.

The Spotify app also allows you to scan codes that take you directly to the relevant podcast. You can use the Audible app to listen to Audible original podcasts.

If you prefer, you can also listen to podcasts on your computer. Use the Spotify desktop application (which is also available in your browser) or the Audible Cloud Player. 

Alternatively you can use iTunes or go direct to the website of the podcast you want to listen to. Finally, you can use your home smart speakers as a way to listen too. Just ask them to play you a podcast and go from there!

Which podcast should I listen to first?

If you’re a new podcast listener, you might be overwhelmed by the amount of podcasts on offer. But don’t worry, we’ve all asked ourselves “where do I start?” and that’s why we’re here! Our magazine is a great way of learning about the podcast landscape. Every week we also update the Pod Bible playlist on the Acast app to include a selection of shows form the latest magazine.

You can also find a podcast about your interests with some of our curated lists. Adam has pulled together 13 Football Podcasts to listen to in 2021, or you could start with the Best Sex & Relationships Podcasts. Scroobius Pip gave us 5 Solo Podcasts you need and you can find Stu’s 5 of the best Music Podcasts here.

You could check out some of the podcasts your favourite celebrities listen to with our For The Love of Pod series. And if you want to get ahead of the game, our New This Month editorial pulls together the most interesting new series and seasons every month. Or if you want to narrow it down a bit, our Where To Start articles give you an entry point to some of the most popular podcasts you must listen to.

But the very first podcast you must listen to is – of course – the Pod Bible podcast! It is the podcast podcast where podcasters talk to podcasters about podcasts and podcasting. Does it get anymore meta? The show is mostly hosted by editor Adam Richardson, but will occasionally feature the other founders of Pod Bible, Stu Whiffen and Scroobius Pip.

You can follow Pod Bible on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast on ACAST, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS or ELSEWHERE. And drop us an email if you liked this article info@podbiblemag.com.

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ACAST: Let’s kick things off: how did your podcast come about?

Dane: Howard, aka “The Hza”, approached me while I was doing my group podcast, Quotas Full, with some other comedians. It was already an idea I had, but Howard came with some microphones and a free room, and then I came with a series of questions and ideas for guests. We put it together and hey presto, podcast!

Howard: I couldn’t cope with people not hearing Dane talk like he does! We were having lunch and he was speaking his mind about
something and I told him the world needed to hear this side of Dane Baptiste — he embodies the ‘question everything’ mantra.

What do you love about making a podcast?

Dane: I love people watching; it’s a natural part of the comedian’s complex in my opinion. Having a podcast allows you to ‘people listen’, which always allows you to have a much more rounded idea of who somebody is. As children, only slumber parties gave people the opportunity to be intimate with friends and acquaintances — podcasts bring that opportunity back.

Howard: For one hour or so we get to connect with a guest in a totally unique way, not knowing whether we’ll end up going deep or just having a real laugh. Some funny people have come on the show and talked really seriously, which has been amazing. The format of the show keeps it fresh and different every week.

How do you plan an episode?

Dane: It’s a collaborative effort between the Hza and I; we basically look at people we think are both interesting and iconic to our listeners, and we do our best to curate these people for the best meeting of minds.

Howard: Our questions are generated in different ways. I’ll usually know the guests’ questions before the show, and I’ll think of my question in a way to balance against theirs. Dane just does his thing, which works!

Once it’s recorded, what’s the process for getting it out to your listeners?

Howard: It always feels like a chore, but it’s not that bad! I’ve taken a few notes as the show records, but I’ll always edit it from start to finish just to get it flowing as best it can. Someone always coughs, don’t they? Once I’ve edited it we send the individual tracks over to our sound mix master Dee Dhanjal at Audio Culture, so it sounds perfect. Without the mix the show just isn’t the polished product the audience loves. Dee is our unsung/sung hero!

Do you do anything to connect with your listeners?

Dane: Well, the show’s ethos is for listeners to hear what’s being discussed in the hope they’ll question their reality more often. We encourage them to question us and their environment and, when we can via live shows, we can include them in the conversation. In the meantime keep your questions coming, folks!

Howard: We push the socials pretty hard every week and love to mention to our listeners during the show that they should contact us with their questions. The opening of the show is a question from one of the audience, which is a brilliant way to connect with the listeners.

What’s one hot tip for budding podcasters out there?

Dane: Choose a subject or guests who you’ll enjoy speaking about and to, respectively. Keep things exciting and, if not, brief — as the attention span isn’t what it used to be. Think of who you want as listeners and think about how best to engage them. Most of all, have fun — it’s really supposed to be a conversation that interested people wanna hear, so keep it informative and inclusive.

Howard: Grow your show in your own way, tweak it along the way, and just keep going! And enjoy it!

You can listen to Dane Baptise Questions Everything on Acast and all other podcast platforms. Got a podcast or thinking of starting a podcast? Join the world’s biggest podcast network to grow your show and make money. Find out more about joining Acast.

This article came from Issue #013 of Pod Bible magazine, which you can read online or buy in our shop.

The post Talking podcasts with Dane Baptiste and Acast appeared first on POD BIBLE.

If you watched any UK TV in the 90s, you are likely familiar with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. As comedy double-act French and Saunders, they are memorable for parodies of films such as Titanic, Silence of the Lambs and Lord of the Rings. Now, a French and Saunders podcast brings them back together for their Audible Original series, French & Saunders: Titting About. And there is something incredibly joyful about hearing them together again.

The duo take a relatable topic and playfully riff comedy from it. From stories on airport shopping, to the scandalous reveal of which of the pair snogged Brad Pitt! As with all good celebrity podcasts, the topics would be mundane in other hands – but I seriously want to find out what Saunders’ top-three vegetables are…

Launched at the end of 2020, this series of six episodes has been described by listeners as “exactly what is needed right now”. 

And listeners aren’t alone in they’re excitement. It’s clear that the pair enjoyed themselves in the making of it. When talking about her experience making the podcast, Dawn French said:

 “Titting About with Fatty is the best fun I’ve had without my incontinence pants on. Which, on reflection, was a mistake. Some soft furnishings were damaged in the making of this series.”

Saunders added:

 “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing than titting about with Dawn. We both have tits, after all”.

Photo by Rachel Manns, courtesy of Audible

Audible shared some of the things you can look forward to in each episode:

Episode 1: Passions and Hobbies

Dawn and Jennifer explore their passions and hobbies, including Jennifer’s love of football. Plus, find out which of them has a fondness for kissing (…Brad Pitt).

Episode 2: Holidays

They may seem like a thing of the past now, but the glamorous world of holidays centre stage in Episode 2. Dawn recalls dribbling on a stranger whilst asleep on Concorde, whilst Jennifer remembers childhood holidays swimming in sewage.

Episode 3: School 

Talking about their time at school, Dawn and Jennifer remember frightening teachers, the awkwardness of sex education and – that dreaded word that brings fear into children and adults alike – ‘liver’.

Episode 4: The Seven Deadly Sins 

From Lust to Greed, Dawn and Jennifer examine their lives, through the moral compass of the Seven Deadly Sins. Subjects covered include Idris Elba, road rage and elastic waistbands.

Episode 5: Food 

Some say that food is the ingredient that binds us together. Let’s see if that’s the case as Jennifer reveals her top-three vegetables and Dawn shares what her last meal would be.

Episode 6: If We Were Alive Now 

In the final episode of the series, Dawn and Jennifer look back at their careers. From early gigs as a double act with one functioning microphone to considering which shows they would parody now

This French and Saunders podcast is an entertaining and exclusive insight to the warm, mischievous friendship of two much-loved performers, leaving no stone unturned for laughs.

French & Saunders: Titting About is available to download now, only on Audible. Every month, Audible members get one credit to use on any audiobook regardless of price or length, plus unlimited access to Audible Original Podcasts at no extra cost.

Listen for free with your 30-day trial. From £7.99 / month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

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