The best new pods of AUTUMN 2023

As we settle into the new season, and the flurry of leaves are starting to fall from the trees, we’ve had a flurry of new podcasts to listen to as well. Our inboxes and our podcast apps have been inundated with new shows.

Deciding what counts as a ‘best’ podcast is always tricky. A tried-and-tested format taking on a new subject will always be appealing; an in-depth investigation of a scandal will keep us glued to headphones; a favourite comedian talking about something that resonates is sure to entertain.

Once again, we’ve asked some of our writers to help us whittle down some new shows, and help us decide – what are the best new podcasts of Autumn 2023? Read on to see if you agree!

The Missing Madonna
Recommended by Tom Nicholson

A good art heist is always podcasting gold dust, and when Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Yarnwinder was snatched from Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway in 2003, it looked like an exceptionally good art heist. Until, that is, details started to emerge: the thieves had dressed up as tourists and simply walked out with the painting, put in their VW Golf and made off with it. The police were on the trail quickly, and all sorts of capers ensue: ransom money, missed drop-offs, and a temperamental Jaguar. Host Olivia Graham’s dad was one of the cops involved, and adds layers of peppy personal detail. Listen now on your podcast app >>

If This Food Could Talk
Recommended by Zainab Amer

Claudia Hanna – lifestyle expert – serves up her debut podcast. Each episode uncovers a common food and why it remains popular today. Claudia and guests traverse histories and empires to discover why. The ice-cream episode is a must-listen, brimming with historical facts that go unrecognised. Learn how slavery innovated and brought famous dishes to the masses. Why did the US Navy ransom ice-cream in rescuing soldiers during WW2? The inaugural launch is packed with stories, recipes, and tips. Claudia is a natural. A refreshing and uplifting take on our most favoured foods. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club
Recommended by Catherine Renton

If you want to join a book club but don’t like wine, nibbles or other people, Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd’s podcast is just what you need. The hosts bring their own brand of humour to the podcast, which features writers and comedians talking about zeitgeisty books like Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey and Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater. Pascoe, Lloyd and their guests have great insights into their book choices, often picking out themes or discussions you may not have thought of. The opening episode featuring Nish Kumar, who brings I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel, features great conversations about Instagram, ‘wet’ boyfriends and race issues. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Your Mama’s Kitchen
Recommended by Katie Stokes

Michele Norris presents a menu of celebrity guests across entertainment, sports and culinary arts, opening with none other than Michelle Obama. They welcome you into the kitchens across their lives and send you home with a recipe close to their hearts. The show traces the habits, lessons, and beliefs of some of the most successful people on the planet back to the heart of the home. Considering the conversations are centred around the power of maternal and community influence, at points, the interviews lacked the perspective and contribution of the people being discussed. Nevertheless, ‘Your Mama’s Kitchen’ delivers a sweet, hearty, and nourishing take on the places and people that shape us. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Eerie
Recommended by Francesca Turauskis

One that I found via our magazine, this is the perfect show for the spookiest month. Eerie is a series of original audio horror stories, and whilst it’s hosted and produced by Anna Bogutskaya – of The Final Girls – each episode is written by someone different. I love anthology shows like this, each providing a little something different. The acting and production of the second episode in particular hits enough realistic touch-points through the ‘found-footage’ (or ‘found-audio’?) to make me marginally terrified to listen to voicenotes from now on… Listen now on your podcast app >>

Other recommendations:

Hooked On Freddie

Podcasts based on scandals are commonplace, but Wondery have really found one with a unique hook – the true story of a dolphin sex scandal set in a sleepy English town in the late 1980s. It’s a ridiculous story that you wouldn’t imagine having lifetime consequences, but the ripple effects add a layer of tragedy. The episodes may have a heavy subject matter but feature real moments of genuine levity to break the tension. Read our full review here or listen now on your podcast app >>

The Rest Is Football

Goalhanger Podcasts – the company behind The Rest Is History, The Rest is Politics and the also new The Rest Is Money – have added another show to their winning-format. Gary Lineker (one of Goalhanger founders) is joined by Micah Richards and Alan Shearer to bring opinions and inside knowledge on the world of football, both past and present. We highlighted an episode in Issue #029 and like many listeners, we’re glad to hear Gary himself on one of the Goalhanger podcasts – and of course it was going to be a football one! Listen now on your podcast app >>

Noted

A new entry to the news podcast genre, Noted is aimed at a younger audience. Mary Mandefield helps listeners make sense of the biggest talking points, and meets the people who really know their stuff and the ones who have lived it too.. with a Whatsapp for listener questions and feedback, this should grow a community following quickly. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Wrestling Is Too Much Fun

A new fighter has entered the ring – this new show is all about the love of professional wrestling. Created by AJ Thee Visionary it is the first UK-based wrestling podcast created by Black women, so there is of course lots of unique perspectives, laugh-out-loud humour, pop culture references and random banter. Listen now on your podcast app >>

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. Mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. The first episode explores the idea of the ‘returning soldier effect’ where more boys tend to be born after periods of war. The fact that the effect is real is interesting, and the reasons behind it are well worth a listen. Listen now on your podcast app >>

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