Nearly everyone now has their go to podcasts but if you’re looking for something new, look no further! Here are six suggestions of episodes to get your teeth stuck into this year:
Closet Confessions:
Candice Brathwaite and Coco Sarel come together for two episodes every week to discuss lessons they face in their day-to-day life as well as pop culture moments and honestly anything else they fancy chatting about. In every episode they also read, react and reply to a listener confession. These confessions are often chaotic but can be equally meaningful. Their responses demonstrate their emotional intelligence in what can only be described as heartfelt advice. Episodes are typically littered with moments of poignancy and balanced with minutes of hysterics. As Candice and Sarel make each other cackle, I often find myself smiling and giggling to myself as I am going about my day. They exude happiness and are a joy to listen to.
DISH:
Waitrose presents Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett with a new celebrity guest each week as they sat down at the dinner table with whatever delectable food Hartnett has whipped up. With guests like Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin from Derry Girls) and Dolly Alderton (author of Everything I Know About Love) the conversations flow easily and are often speckled with amusement. The episodes are typically thirty or so minutes long and are generally a low effort listen. Whether you cook whilst it plays in the background or put it on in the car with your mum, DISH is palatable to all.
Frank Film Club:
Three film enthusiasts come together to discuss all things movies. Maisie Williams (most known for her role as Aria in Game of Thrones), Lowri Roberts (a Welsh filmmaker and director of Girl) and Hannah Marie Williams (casting director for films like Festival of Slaps) come together to discuss a variety of iconic films. Not solely limited to the most recently released films or the current awards season, the trio delve into fan favourites as well as the movies that have a nostalgic resonance for them; recently discussing their opinions and relationships with Twilight upon its 15th anniversary. Many episodes include a level of feminist discussion, not necessarily in an explicit theoretical form but in its discussion of female characters, empowerment of women and feminist themes. It balances meaningful conversation with frivolous chatter very well.
Call Her Daddy:
Spotify announced their top twenty-five podcasts globally at the end of 2023 and Call Her Daddy ranked number 2. Alex Cooper is joined by a different celebrity guest each week including stars like Zayn Malik in his first interview of six years, Shay Mitchell and her viral discussion of “if you can take him, take him, I don’t want him”, as well as Tish and Brandi Cyrus as they talk all things mother-daughter. Creating a space in which celebs feel comfortable to discuss the intimate elements of their lives, Cooper enables a dynamic that allows insight that listeners crave. Call Her Daddy has been around for six years now, but its success continues to grow at a rate that speaks to the podcasts popularity.
I’m Grand Mam:
It’s somewhat hard to define exactly what Kevin and PJ talk about each week, in fact the two Irish men can be discussing nepo-babies one week and the next be analysing the hold a specific sandwich chain has on the population of Ireland. The premise of the podcast is two gay men from Cork discuss growing up queer and navigating the life-informing question “what would mam think?”. Their conversations and general nattering are good to have on in the background as you busy yourself with errands and chores. The pair provide a source of enjoyment and entertainment, and you may even find yourself being serenaded with a rendition of Waving through a Window from Dear Evan Hansen.