Staying at home offers the perfect opportunity to get stuck into a good podcast or two. Depending on what you’re looking for, here are a few bingeable listens that we’d highly recommend…
Stay Positive
Reasons to be Cheerful
Yes. Yes we are telling you to stop in and entertain yourself by listening to Ed Miliband, because away from the political arena and in a chirpy podcast setting, his undeniable gawkishness and bumbling nature is actually pretty charming. Joined by Sony Award-winning radio host Geoff Lloyd, who keeps things ticking over nicely, the duo interview some of the best thinkers around the world on progressive and positive ideas to improve the planet.
Apple/Spotify/RSS
Insightful Convo
Full Disclosure with James O’Brien
Whether you’re a James O’Brien fan or not, there’s no denying that he’s a skilled interviewer – and it’s the calibre of interviewees that makes this podcast worth seeking out. Daniel Radcliffe, Tony Blair, Paloma Faith, Ian Hislop, Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan, Katherine Ryan, Bill Nighy – all just a few names who spend the best part of an hour in O’Brien’s company, participating in frank and often amusing interviews about their respective life stories.
Global Player/Apple/Spotify/Google Podcasts
Get Your Kicks
Under The Cosh
Missing the footy? While there aren’t any games to analyse at the minute, Under The Cosh podcast is possibly the finest online source for no-holds-barred anecdotes from the footballing world. Hosted by ex-players Jon ‘The Beast’ Parkin and the two Chris Browns – one a former Doncaster forward and one a comedian from Bolton – they invite retired pros from various levels of the game to candidly lift the lid on life as a footballer. There are a few on Spotify but most are available on YouTube, and it’s worth seeking out just for Mark Crossley’s Nigel Clough story.
YouTube/Apple/Spotify/Player FM/RSS
Trivia Overload
No Such Thing As A Fish
Did you know that rats were once the size of hippos? Or that the Great Wall of China is actually held together by sticky rice? And that’s just a tiny taster from the smorgasbord of intriguing, amusing and downright ridiculous trivia you’ll find in this popular podcast hosted by QI researchers (or ‘elves’ as they are also known) James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray, Anna Ptaszynski and Dan Schreiber. There is no official script, just an avalanche of research and facts that’ll have your head spinning and might just make you a tad more interesting at your first post-quarantine dinner party.
Apple/Spotify/Google Podcasts/Audioboom/Tunein
Morbid Curiosity
Casefile True Crime
“Fact is scarier than fiction” is the tagline for this multi-award-winning series, where the anonymous host narrates spine-chilling stories detailing some of the darkest true crimes in recent history. The production is a little bit on the cheesy side, but if you can handle the hushed tones, pulsating background music and the slightly trashy feeling of guilty voyeurism throughout, there’s every chance this’ll become a staple go-to when you’re looking to kill some time (if you’d forgive the pun).
Spotify/Apple/Google Podcasts/RSS
Release Your Inner Wizard
Potterless
Escapism has never been more needed, and the Harry Potter world has been a welcome source of distraction for young’uns and old’uns alike since Philosopher’s Stone apparated onto UK shelves in 1997. Whether you’re a fully-fledged Potterhead or just casually acquainted with Hogwarts, you can join the excitable Mike Schubert on his journey reading the books for the first time. To balance out Mike’s naivety – and sometimes frustrating mispronunciations – are a series of HP experts who relive the book with him a few magical chapters at a time.
Spotify/Apple/Stitcher/Player FM
The Brains of Brian
The Infinite Monkey Cage
Let Brian blow your brain. The former D:REAM keys man and current renowned physicist Professor Brian Cox is on his usual fascinating form alongside comedian Robin Ince in this long-running podcast, where they tackle some of science’s biggest topics and speak with esteemed guests from astrophysicists to celebrities about the wonders of the world.
BBC/Spotify/Apple/Google Podcasts/Player FM
Know Your History
You’re Dead to Me
You don’t have to be a history buff to get behind Greg Jenner’s irreverent show blending laughs and interesting lessons on bygone eras. In each episode, Jenner is joined by an expert and a comedian as they brilliantly dissect famous characters, events and cultures in an incredibly bingeable show. Boudica, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Victorian Christmas traditions, the history of football – all are explored in a format that can appeal to both adults and children.
BBC/Spotify/Apple/Google Podcasts/Player FM/Podbean
Pssst. Fancy more of the same? The April issue of Exposed Magazine is now available to read online here.
