These days it feels like everyone and their mother has launched one of the “best podcasts ever” – with each comically niche (and distinctly millennial) topic being dissected through the medium. Wondering how to care for your succulents? There’s a podcast for that. Keen to break down every caffeine-fuelled pop-culture reference in Gilmore Girls? The Gilmore Guys are here for you. Trying to figure out which case of natural wine to order? You’ve got options.
The only problem, as ever, is narrowing down what to listen to from the countless series out there – and there are some truly great podcasts worthy of your attention right now. Take 1619, a genius (albeit devastating) exploration of the many ways in which the slave trade has shaped American society, or Where Should We Begin?, in which therapist Esther Perel helps real-life couples navigate difficulties in their relationships.
No matter what your interests, read on to find your new favourite series courtesy of Vogue’s in-depth guide to the best podcasts to listen to in 2023.
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The Best True Crime Podcasts
If Martin Scorsese made a podcast, it would probably sound something like Crimetown. Each season is devoted to analysing the history of mafia-related crime in a different American city, starting with Providence. Hosts Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier’s investigation into the mob in Rhode Island’s capital brings to light truly staggering connections between the infamous Patriarca family and a number of high-profile politicians in the state – including former mayor Buddy Cianci.
In a nursing home in San Diego, a patient known only as Six-Six Garage lies in a vegetative state after a near-fatal car accident, with police labelling him only as an “undocumented” Mexican immigrant. Fifteen years after his initial crash, reporter Joanne Faryon dedicates herself to finding out the truth about his identity and the people he left behind – the beginning of a shocking investigation into the history of his case. Gripping, timely, and important.
Produced by American Public Media, In The Dark combines truly masterful storytelling with powerful investigative journalism. Each series homes in on a crime with national significance, including that of African-American Curtis Flowers, who was convicted of murder by an all-white jury and sentenced to death in Mississippi in 2010, in spite of the fact that he maintained his innocence. In The Dark’s probing research into his trial brought to light key misconduct on the part of the District Attorney’s team, ultimately leading to the case going to the Supreme Court.
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At the end of 2017, 23-year-old adult film star August Ames committed suicide after her Tweets about refusing to work with men who shot gay porn were met with widespread backlash. In The Last Days of August, journalist Jon Ronson (The Psychopath Test) both delves into her backstory and explores the many hierarchies implicit within the porn industry today in a way that’s sensitive, enlightening, and deeply empathetic. Listen to it from start to finish, then download Ronson’s earlier podcast The Butterfly Effect, which looks at the tech industry’s transformation of the adult film world.
This astonishing NPR podcast centres on the case of Larry Nassar, the doctor to the USA Gymnastics team and a physician at Michigan State University, who is believed to have abused more than 250 victims over several decades. Following his conviction for seven counts of sexual assault against minors, reporters Kate Wells and Lindsey Smith look to the past to try and understand how Nassar’s crimes went unchecked for so long, and why those who did speak out about his behaviour were silenced. Not to be missed.
Could you help locate a missing person? That’s exactly what this tense series hosted by Pandora Sykes asks of its listeners. Each episode focuses on a different case, stitching together beguiling clues about their last known whereabouts as well as the emotional testimonies of friends and family, and implores the public to come forward with more information. As theories are explored, dismissed and revisited, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and buoyed by the fact that the final piece of the puzzle might be found at any moment.
The kind of podcast that will keep you up all night frantically Googling all of the details, this fascinating six-part series hosted by Alexi Mostrous follows a radio presenter named Kirat who falls for Bobby, a cardiologist she meets on social media. They enter into a tumultuous relationship and, a decade after their first interaction, Kirat discovers she’s being catfished by someone close to her for no apparent reason. It’s a word-of-mouth sensation that has inspired countless think pieces and ignited a national conversation around coercive control.
Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who was found guilty of defrauding investors with her dubious blood-testing company, is placed under a microscope by ABC News reporter Rebecca Jarvis in this compelling 25-episode study. It takes us from the idealistic early days of the business to Holmes’s clashes with employees, the exposé that changed everything and the dramatic trial that followed. It’s the perfect companion piece to the Disney+ show of the same name, in which Amanda Seyfried dons a black turtleneck to play the grifter.
The Guardian’s Sirin Kale dives headfirst into a riveting and, at times, deeply troubling true story in this seven-part investigative podcast: that of Matthew Hardy, a prolific cyberstalker who had hundreds of complaints lodged against him over the course of a decade. His strategy? To send seemingly innocent messages to his victims from fake accounts, mine them for information and use it to destroy their careers, relationships and families, driving many of them into hiding. We hear from the men and women affected who fought to bring him to justice, but then, Kale turns her attention to Hardy himself, examining his motivations and family background with a fine-tooth comb. What could have compelled him to target old classmates but also people with whom he had no discernible connection? An interview with Hardy’s distressed mother, who continues to defend him, offers some answers but raises even more questions.
The latest investigation helmed by Sweet Bobby’s Alexi Mostrous opens with a harrowing recording of a police interview with two children who claim that they are being physically and sexually abused by their father and their teachers, whom they allege are at the heart of a Satan-worshipping paedophile ring in Hampstead. Predictably, the news sparks national and global outrage, but when the police begin making enquires, they fail to find any evidence. It soon becomes clear that the children are being abused – but not by the people they first accused. Across six startling episodes, we learn about the elaborate hoax, those whose lives were torn apart by it, and those who perpetuated it, including the mother of the children at its centre, and her manipulative partner. Mostrous’s explosive interview with the latter is jaw-dropping – and reason enough to binge the series immediately.
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The Best History Podcasts
This five-part 2019 project from The New York Times garnered significant attention for its in-depth examination of the realities of being black in America – 400 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived on the continent. Bringing together a prominent panel of guests, including Harvard historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad and novelist Yaa Gyasi, the series looks at topics as varied as politics, the economy, public health, and land ownership. It is utterly brilliant.
As the war in Ukraine continues, Anastasiia Lapatina and Jakub Parusinski, two formidable journalists from The Kyiv Independent, speak to academics, foreign policy experts, politicians and civilians in their beleaguered nation about the global consequences of the conflict, how we got here, and what comes next. Over 12 absorbing episodes, their series offers an introduction to both Eastern European history and 21st century geopolitics, as well as the on-the-ground realities of living in a country that has been under sustained bombardment for so many months.
Historian William Dalrymple and author Anita Anand’s smash hit – which will go on to explore the rise and fall of the world’s biggest empires in future seasons – has dedicated its first instalment to the story of the British in India. Across jaw-dropping weekly episodes, the pair dissect everything from the rapid and unlikely rise of the East India Company and the true horrors of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, to the contested legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the centuries-spanning and unbelievably bloody history of the Koh-i-Noor diamond (the latter essential listening ahead of King Charles III’s Coronation, in which it may or may not appear). There are also stirring cameos from other specialists in the field, including David Olusoga who speaks movingly about the impact of rampant colonialism and the future of the Commonwealth.
Part family history, part political drama, American comedian Chris Garcia tells the story of his recently departed father, a Cuban refugee who built a life in the US after surviving Castro’s labour camps. Incredibly touching and poignant – as well as laugh-out-loud funny in parts.
Writer, author and editor Carol Woolton shares her invaluable knowledge of jewellery and gemstones in her new podcast, If Jewels Could Talk with Carol Woolton. The British Vogue contributing editor invites some of the best in the business to explore past eras, future design and more. “Jewels are the starting point to discuss past eras, romance, lost fortunes, revolution, precious stones and personal histories,” she says.
The Best Culture Podcasts
In this gripping series, Vanity Fair writer Lily Anolik traces the history of Bennington College’s class of ’86, which included Donna Tartt, Jonathan Lethem and Bret Easton Ellis. According to Anolik, the renowned writers were both affectionate and competitive with one another while navigating the “wildest and wickedest school in America”, which all three later mythologised in their writing.
Hosted by journalists Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall, You’re Wrong About podcast aims to debunk myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings about some of the world’s greatest events and prominent figures. From Princess Diana and Monica Lewinsky to Yoko Ono being blamed for breaking up the Beatles, they’re obsessed with putting the past to right.
The hilarious Demi Adejuyigbe and Kevin T Porter dissect the Gilmore Girls – kind of. Part intense analysis, part mockery, part launch-off point to talk about everything else under the sun (typically joined by comedians like Doug Benson and Lauren Lapkus), you’re guaranteed to laugh at each episode.
A group of four multiracial queer men, all writers, talk irreverently about sex, identity, culture, and who and what to read. There are no limits here, and no barriers – see their in-depth discussion of whether Virginia Woolf would have been a top.
Katy Hessel – an up-and-coming art historian who works on special projects and exhibitions at Victoria Miro Gallery – celebrates female artists and their work through interviews with key figures in the art world: Tate Modern director Frances Morris talks fine artist Agnes Martin; British painter Celia Paul opens up her live-in studio; and Ami Bouhassane recalls her grandmother, Lee Miller.
There are more than 200 archival episodes of BBC Radio 4’s Bookclub – also known as the ultimate podcast for bibliophiles. Listen to host James Naughtie in conversation with some of the greatest authors in the world, followed by questions from an audience of readers. Past guests include Don DeLillo, Jay McInerney, Muriel Spark, Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, Elizabeth Strout, Naomi Alderman, and Donna Tartt.
When husband-and-wife Greg James And Bella Mackie team up, you know you’re in for a treat. Mackie, the bestselling author of Jog On: How Running Saved My Life and Vogue contributor, and James, BBC Radio One’s breakfast show host, have created a podcast that’s all about learning. Speaking to some of the best teachers in the country, the couple ask the questions that they’ve always wanted to know the answers to.
In Manhattan, for 14 years people called to anonymously apologise for something. In The Apology Line, the series delves into the line, and the creator at the other end who was ultimately consumed by his own creation. Hosted by Marissa Bridge (she was married to its creator), the six-episode series discusses empathy, deception and the content of thousands of calls.
Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke – aka Summer Roberts and Julie Cooper on The OC – spent lockdown recording a podcast together. Each episode of Welcome to the OC, Bitches! recalls a particular episode of the much-loved Noughties series. Expect cameos from former cast members, writers, musicians, and “the many people that made The OC the cultural phenomenon that it is today”.
Dana Thomas, British Vogue’s contributing European sustainability editor and the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, speaks to changemakers about tackling the climate crisis in innovative ways in this relentlessly hopeful biweekly podcast. Guests include everyone from children’s author Oliver Jeffers, who examines environmental degradation in his work, to Oscar-winning documentarian Eva Orner, whose latest film looks at the causes and impact of the Australian bushfires of 2019 and 2020. It manages to be uplifting and inspiring without losing sight of the challenges we continue to face.
The first season of the storied fashion house’s culture podcast featured intimate, wide-ranging conversations between creatives: Keira Knightley and Lulu Wang discussing misogyny in the film industry; Amanda Harlech, Tim Blanks and Andrew Bolton delving into fashion’s greatest untold stories; and British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and Tilda Swinton dissecting everything from the evolving nature of celebrity to how acting can be a form of portraiture. Now, in its second instalment, you’ll find eight more ingenious pairings, from Maisie Williams and Grimes on the metaverse, and Kehinde Wiley and Misan Harriman on image making, to Emerald Fennell and Gillian Flynn on anti-heroines and the comedy that can be found in tragedy.
Fashion journalist Monica Ainley de La Villardière and cookbook author Emma Knight helm this delightful podcast which invites writers, filmmakers, curators and cultural leaders to plan a fantasy dinner party for their dream guest – think Nathalie Biancheri, the director of the Lily-Rose Depp-led arthouse drama Wolf, serving up roast chicken and carbonara for German auteur Werner Herzog, or The New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins attempting to impress Edith Wharton with ice-cold Champagne. Their fortnightly discussions are always illuminating, encompassing the life and times of these cultural icons, and how their work has influenced everything that’s followed.
Want to be transported to ’90s California? Tune into best friends Alana Haim and Sasha Spielberg’s predictably zany podcast in which they look back on their most cringeworthy childhood experiences and consider how they shaped who they are today. From managing braces and acne to pining for a first kiss and deciding on your Bat Mitzvah theme, no supremely awkward stone is left unturned, and there are special appearances from friends and family too, including Rashida Jones, Kate Berlant, and Este and Danielle Haim.
Osman Ahmed, i-D’s fashion features director, interviews the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Bimini Bon Boulash, Charles Jeffrey and Dapper Dan in this nine-part docuseries tracing the origins, evolution and legacy of a range of subcultures that have had a profound impact on street style, from grime and hip-hop to Harajuku.
British Vogue contributor Kate Finnigan is joined by fellow fashion journalist Emily Cronin – both self-confessed “underwear obsessives” – in this fascinating, body-positive deep dive into the secret history of our most foundational garments. How did the Wonderbra, first developed in the ’40s, go on to change the world? Can the thong really be traced back to ancient Greece? And how did corsetry manage to endure, transforming from a symbol of patriarchal oppression into one of feminist rebellion? Fashion historians and designers weigh in, debunking myths and considering how current and future innovations will change what we wear underneath our clothes.
Launched by the titular foundation and hosted by writers Jo Hamya and James Walton, this weekly literary podcast sees the pair revisit the 500 or so novels that have won or been nominated for the prestigious prize since its inception more than five decades ago. They argue over individual titles – from Patricia Lockwood’s No One is Talking About This and Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy to Han Kang’s The Vegetarian – meet its authors, and offer a peek behind the curtain of past Booker ceremonies as well as the current prize season.
Obsessed with The Modern House? Then don’t miss this deeply soothing interiors podcast from the supremely stylish estate agency’s co-founder Matt Gibberd, in which he speaks to the likes of The River Cafe’s Ruth Rogers, photographer Nick Knight, designer India Mahdavi and Tate Modern director Frances Morris about all the places they’ve called home. How much have those past living spaces informed their present? And what do their current homes reveal about who they really are? Expect a wealth of personal stories alongside life-changing design advice.
Launched by Somerset House, this four-part series examines the decline of hustle culture in the age of soft-quitting and “the great resignation”, and explores alternative ideas around work and productivity. Guest speakers include the founders of Black Power Naps on rest as a radical act, philosopher Bayo Akomolafe on the politics of softness, and artist Raquel Meseguer Zafe on the importance of slowing down to contemplate art.
The Best Fiction Podcasts
Darkly comic and increasingly disturbing, James Bloor’s immersive hit casts Naomi Scott as Lydia, an ambitious estate agent whose achingly perfect life is controlled by Soft Voice (Bel Powley), the disciplinarian who lives in her head. But when this inner monologue suddenly vanishes, Dark Voice (Olivia Cooke) takes its place, urging her to make rash decisions. It’s a thrilling ride, aided by haunting performances and a hallucinatory score, that will leave you questioning your own impulses and the impossible standards we hold ourselves to.
Before it became the basis for an Amazon Prime sensation starring Julia Roberts, Gimlet Media’s addictive audio series kept listeners up all night. It tells the story of a caseworker at an experimental facility, played by a bewitching Catherine Keener, who helps soldiers return to civilian life. David Schwimmer voices her demanding supervisor and Oscar Isaac a troubled veteran, and through a collage of phone calls and therapy sessions we come to realise that things are not as they seem. Podcasts don’t get much more cinematic than this.
When a spaceship reappears on earth after a mysterious 35-year absence, the world is shocked to find that it contains a lone survivor (Richard Madden) who hasn’t aged a day. Rhys Wakefield and William Day Frank’s sci-fi epic then turns to the astronaut’s formerly identical twin brother, now a grouchy elderly man (Brian Cox). The pair will reunite, reopen old wounds and consider the future of mankind which, due to the failure of this mission, appears to be doomed. An Amazon Prime TV adaptation is currently in the works, too.
Gone Girl-esque is the best descriptor for this compulsive, 10-part audio drama written and directed by Daniella Isaacs. Based on Kim Hooper’s page turner of the same name, it follows Emily Morris (a breathy, confessional Rosamund Pike), a woman who is desperate to start a new life. When 9/11 upends her world, she uses the national tragedy to fake her own death and run away to California, renaming herself Connie Prynne. Fourteen years later, she’s diagnosed with breast cancer, contemplating her own mortality and considering the future of her teenage daughter when she’s forced to confront her past. The result is a series that is as morally murky as it is emotionally devastating.
The Best Food Podcasts
The River Cafe’s Ruthie Rogers invites her most celebrated regulars to discuss their memories of food in Table 4. So far, the highlights have included Victoria Beckham discussing what the Spice Girls ate during their ’90s heyday and Paul McCartney reminiscing about his first taste of wine during a trip to Paris with John Lennon. Irresistible.
Even if you have no interest in being in a kitchen, Samin Nosrat is a joy to listen to on Home Cooking. In between witty banter and pun-filled exchanges with her co-host, Hrishikesh Hirway, the Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat mastermind answers questions from listeners about transforming store cupboard staples into moreish dishes. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a bag of dried chickpeas, wondering what on earth to do with them, download this immediately.
Laura Jackson’s monthly supper clubs are a masterclass in entertaining. For her first-ever podcast, she sits down with fellow celebrated hosts and lifestyle obsessives to chat vintage interiors finds; up-and-coming travel destinations; and the best restaurants around the world. On the guest list for the first season? Renowned chef Anna Jones, fashion PR Daisy Hoppen, and design favourite Fiona Leahy.
Hosted by editor Miranda York and poet Anna Sulan Masing, At The Table is all about good food and great writing. Highlights from the first season include readings by the likes of Marina O’Loughlin on working at Glasgow’s famous restaurant The Ubiquitous Chip, to The Sportsman’s Stephen Harris on his revolutionary Kentish cuisine. The best part of the series, however, is the quick-witted banter between York and Masing, touching on everything from Wetherspoons to MFK Fisher’s brilliant suggestion to leave tangerines on top of a radiator.
If you’ve been a long-standing fan of Desert Island Discs then this is one for you. Hosted by chef and food writer Margie Nomura, instead of chatting about all things music-related, this series gets serious about one thing: food. With guest appearances from the likes of Nadiya Hussain and Alice Liveing, it’s certainly worth a listen while you’re cooking in the kitchen.
In 2022, Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao and Lester Walker, the founders of the Bronx-based culinary collective Ghetto Gastro, released their first cookbook: the game-changing – and life-affirming – Black Power Kitchen. Now, the trio return with an eight-part ode to the dishes that have most profoundly shaped their diverse neighbourhood, from twerk ’n’ jerk and mofongo to chopped cheese and by-the-slice pizza. Their origins and legacies are analysed with the help of special guests such as Questlove and A$AP Ferg, after which listeners are taken into the kitchen for a series of hands-on cooking demos. It’s eye-opening and utterly joyous.
The Best Comedy Podcasts
With a new episode dropping every Friday, this long-running (and frequently hilarious) podcast takes the form of a weekly phone call between long-distance best friends Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow to chat about every conceivable element of culture today, from watching Love Is Blind to the abject terror of filing your taxes unaided. It also includes powerful interviews with the likes of Chanel Miller, the victim in the Brock Turner trial.
If you’re finding the news utterly terrifying, listening to Hysteria is a good way to reassure yourself that you’re by no means alone. Hosted by politically savvy American comedian Erin Ryan, it sees different female guests join her each week to discuss the most insane moments from the last seven days through a wonderfully feminist lens – tackling everything from the White House to sexism in rom-coms. Its tagline says it all, “Women: 51 per cent of the population and 100 per cent of this podcast.”
Set on Mars in the year 2072, MarsCorp follows hilarious female protagonist E. L. Hob as she is sent to help terraform the red planet – only to find a dysfunctional society cut off from Earth that she must learn to live in if she is to complete her vital mission... Perfect for anyone who loves dark British comedy.
What would you do if your dad wrote a pornographic novel? This was the question Jamie Morton asked himself back in 2015. His answer: read it out loud with two friends and broadcast it for the world to hear. Each episode follows Jamie and his friends sharing a chapter of his father’s (pen name “Rocky Flintstone”) erotic novella Belinda Blinked, leading to genuine laugh-out-loud moments as they critique and analyse his handiwork. It’s so successful it’s now inspired an HBO Comedy Special, notching up more than 250 million downloads along the way.
The trillion-dollar wellness industry is the subject of this insightful, side-splitting podcast from comedians Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak. Each week, the two friends try new products, obsess over bizarre trends, consult healers and dissect our global fascination with self improvement. From snail mucin and hard kombucha to hypersomnia and astral projection, their meandering and unfiltered conversations cover almost everything, and are an utter delight to listen to.
The Best Interview Podcasts
Journalist Hattie Crisell goes to visit writers where the magic happens: in their studies. Featuring novelists like George Saunders and Elif Shafak, screenwriters like Lucy Prebble and Charlie Brooker, and many of the greatest poets, comedy writers, and essayists working today, it’s a must-listen for anyone interested in writing as a profession.
London-based designer Irene Agbontaen has built her career around celebrating diversity in all its forms – both in fashion and society more broadly. Her brilliant podcast, TTYA Talks, features her in conversation with a wealth of similarly inspiring women from across the worlds of art and sport, from Neelam Gill to Maya Jama, Julie Adenuga to FKA Twigs.
This highly engaging podcast presents in-depth weekly interviews with heavyweight writers about their work and process. There’s also a decade’s worth of archival episodes to work your way through, featuring Michael Lewis, Gay Talese, Susan Orlean, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Evan Wright and Malcolm Gladwell, among others.
Described as the “black feminist podcast of your dreams”, hosts Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom sound-off on celebrity, culture, politics, art, life, and love in Hear to Slay. One for listeners who like to be challenged, and enjoy a side of laughter with their politics. Previous guests include the brilliant Ava DuVernay and Elaine Welteroth.
The Streets’s Mike Skinner and long-time collaborator Murkage Dave attempt to uncover celebrities’ real feelings about their lives in this series of candid and laidback interviews that are as likely to take place in a West End pub as a studio or office. Among those who have spoken about their personal lives so far? Liam Gallagher, Alexa Chung and SBTV mogul Jamal Edwards.
Author Reni Eddo-Lodge invites us to continue the conversation she started with her bestselling 2017 book, Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, with her excellent podcast series featuring leading anti-racism activists from the past decade.
Having launched his first podcast in 2020, Grounded With Louis Theroux, in 2021 Theroux was back with a second series. With guests such as writer Michaela Coel, actor Miriam Margolyes and musician FKA twigs, the documentary-maker’s return was just as good as the first.
Journalist Terri White published her memoir, Coming Undone, in 2020, detailing childhood trauma and personal struggles. In her podcast, which has the same names, she interviews guests about the obstacles they’ve overcome – like illustrator Laura Dockrill, who opens up to White about her battle with postpartum psychosis.
Shaping Insights is a series of conversations with industry leaders in the worlds of fashion, luxury, travel and tech, in which they share their thoughts on everything from emerging consumer trends to sustainability. The podcast, produced for AMEX, has hosted guests including Fendi’s Kim Jones, hotelier Ian Schrager, and most recently, former US Vogue editor Lauren Santo Domingo, who shared her expert views on revolutionising fashion commerce.
Hot on the heels of the announcement from the CEO of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Hayaatun Sillem, that gender parity won’t be achieved in the field of physical engineering until 2080, comes this inspiring podcast which seeks to transform the industry for the better. Across immersive biweekly episodes, its host Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer who worked on the Shard, speaks to other leading engineers, scientists, designers and architects about how we can restructure and rebuild our world, from making cities more sustainable to exploring intergalactic travel, and get more women involved in the process. With personal reflections and humour, she makes an often staid and lofty subject feel infinitely more accessible.
British Vogue contributing beauty editor Kathleen Baird-Murray’s eye-opening podcast delves deep into her area of expertise and centres on interviews with beauty brand founders, from U Beauty’s Tina Chen Craig and RMS Beauty’s Rose-Marie Swift to Charlotte Mensah, Bobbi Brown and John Legend. Rather than focusing purely on their triumphs though, she asks them about the moments when things went wrong. How close did they get to giving up? How do they navigate challenges now? And what can we learn from their experiences? Expect laughter, tears, and some fascinating tangents.
The Best Feminist Podcasts
How did women in positions of power manage to shatter the glass ceiling? Dropping every Wednesday, this podcast from US-based Politico takes an equal parts practical and inspiring look at the varied answers from guests as diverse as the former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, bestselling author Jodi Picoult, former president of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards and actor Jane Fonda.
Essential listening for any feminists who find themselves using the phrase “I’m a feminist, but…” (The show actually starts with a segment in which host Deborah Frances-White and her guests finish that sentence to genuinely hilarious effect.) By turns funny, moving, motivating and eye-opening, this podcast (and the live shows from which it is recorded each week) has created a community of feminists for whom no topic is out of bounds and where judgment is off the table.
When Bumble wanted to launch its own podcast on mental health and positivity, it turned to Vogue’s publishing director Vanessa Kingori to kick things off. In conversation with Bumble’s Louise Troen and activist Jada Sezer, Kingori brings her mix of engaging and inspiring ideas on everything from marriage to trusting her instincts in the podcast’s first episode. Now nearly a dozen episodes in, guests include singer Joy Crookes and writer Scarlett Curtis.
In her debut book, The Panic Years, author and journalist (and Vogue columnist) Nell Frizzell takes a much closer look at women’s lives in their twenties and thirties. Examining the choices we do and don’t make, especially whether or not to have children. To kick-start the podcast series, Frizzell invites a host of brilliant guests – such as comedian Sara Pascoe and writer Daisy Bunchanan – to talk about the so-called “panic years”.
Maisie Hill, the author of Period Power, knows all too well that there’s still a lot we don’t know about periods. In her new podcast, the menstrual health expert aims to inform – and leaves no stone unturned while doing so. Whether it’s about hormones or simply understanding your own menstrual cycle a bit better, Hill is here to help.
The Best Music Podcasts
Music journalist Jessica Hopper dives into music history on Lost Notes, unearthing candid Captain Beefheart interview tapes, stories of New Edition’s sports team betrayal (a tale that features Michael Jackson) and a McDonald’s promotional scheme that involved distributing 80 million flexi-disc recordings of their “Menu Song”.
This experimental podcast by George the Poet blends poetry, fiction, history, news and music, honing in on specific stories before zooming out to discuss wider societal implications, then taking sudden turns left – you may find yourself inside his sleeping brain and its ramblings, for example, in a podcast that is truly one of a kind.
Dive into modern R&B and hip-hop classics with a podcast that makes Genius look like child’s play. Classically trained musician and composer Cole Cuchna peels back the layers within albums by Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and Frank Ocean in obsessive detail, creating around 13 hours of insight per record.
Getting to listen in on legendary producer Rick Rubin in candid conversation with some of the greatest living musicians sounds too good to be true, but in this podcast you can hear him speak with Andre 3000 about the anxiety that follows success; FKA twigs about healing through the making of her album Magdalene; and Tyler the Creator about his creative process.
Hosted by Vick Hope, the new podcast Songs To Live By from the BBC, celebrates Black voices and experiences. Each episode hears from two guests, sharing the songs and music that have influenced and helped to shape their lives. Available on BBC Sounds, guests include UK Black Pride’s founder Lady Phyll, comedian Sophie Ducker and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
The Best Relationship Podcasts
Renowned therapist Esther Perel lets you listen in to real couples talking through the tricky parts of their relationship with her in this revolutionary podcast – from a mother and son trying to establish boundaries to a husband and wife coming to the end of their marriage.
Actor Anna Faris invites an exciting mix of Hollywood stars to join her in giving their unqualified relationship advice, typically drawing from their own experiences, and peppered with funny anecdotes. With guests like Judd Apatow, Jerrod Carmichael and Emily Ratajkowski, it’s always equal parts hilarious and enlightening.
A spin-off of the brilliant Dear Sugar agony aunt column in The Rumpus, Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond address the problems of their listeners with radical empathy. Particular episodes to look out for include “The Ugly Truth”, in which different women with face-altering diseases grapple with their looks, and “Who’s Your Daddy”, with individuals who have unexpectedly uncovered shocking family secrets through trendy genetic ancestry kits.
Oloni is the reigning sex and relationship guru of Twitter, and with Laid Bare she’s claiming the throne in podcasting too, joined by sexual wellness blogger Shakira “Scotty Unfamous” Scott and influencer Shani Jamilah. Together the trio (and the occasional special guest) embark on discussions that know no bounds, tackling taboos like cheating, sex parties, hentai and much, much more.
From the producers of Where Should We Begin?, this engrossing podcast follows a set of charming singletons looking for love. Frustrated with dating apps, they’ve opted to go on a series of virtual first dates curated for them by behavioural scientists and dating coaches. With the latter, they speak openly about their past relationships, red flags, expectations and disappointments, and then we hear the dates themselves, as sparks fly or awkward silences take hold. Afterwards, they analyse theses interactions with the matchmakers, gaining more clarity on their own patterns, from only being attracted to those who are unavailable to a tendency to “love bomb” partners before quickly losing interest. It’s reassuring in parts and infuriating in others, but sure to make you reflect on your own life and reassess your own approach to dating.
