12 Podcasts To Listen To This Month

Comfort Eating With Grace Dent

Hosted by award-winning restaurant critic Grace Dent, Comfort Eating invites famous guests to lift the lid on comfort foods that have seen them through their lives – the good bits and the bad. As Grace says, it turns out you can tell a lot about a person from the snack they choose to indulge in behind closed doors. While there’s only a couple of episodes of this bound-to-be-popular show out so far, future guests have been tipped to include Mae Martin, Rafe Spall and more.

Episode Highlight: Russell T Davies

This first episode is a corker. Grace is joined by award-winning Doctor Who and It’s A Sin screenwriter Russell T Davies, who shares some of the most important moments in his life – and the comfort food that has seen him through. The pair discuss love at first sight, recent loss, and how Woolworth’s pork and egg pie is a metaphor for life itself. Be sure to stay tuned for new episodes released every Tuesday.

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Drama Queens

If you were a teen in the early or mid-2000s, chances are you were a One Tree Hill fan. Now, following in the footsteps of similar shows like Welcome To The OC, B*tches, former castmates Hilarie Burton Morgan (Peyton), Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley) and Sophia Bush (Brooke) have reunited to re-watch the show and dissect every scene. Expect plenty of modern-day insights along with behind-the-scenes gossip as the three women share the cherished memories that built their friendship and remind you why there’s only one One Tree Hill.

Episode Highlight: Someday Is Today

Another new show, tune into the first episode to hear Hilarie, Bethany Joy and Sophia delve into the pilot, and everything that went into making sure the show got picked up for its first season. Coming in at just under an hour, it’s less of a time investment than similar nostalgia-based shows currently on the airwaves, but that doesn’t make the conversation any less insightful.

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Finding Natasha

In 1974, Debbie Gayle was one of Britain’s most promising young ballerinas. At the age of 17, she was chosen to go to the Soviet Union and become the first westerner to train at Russia’s finest ballet academy. Only a few months later, things took a near deadly turn and she just about made it out of the country thanks to a young girl named Natasha – who she never saw or heard from again. Now, 50 years later, Debbie’s son – journalist Jake Warren – sets out to solve his family’s myth and find the woman who saved his mother’s life. Split into five digestible parts (each episode clocks in at less than half an hour, some closer to 20 minutes) each week Jake recounts his mother’s story and prepares to update her with his latest findings… be they good or bad.

Episode Highlight: Part 3 Isolation

Having finally made it to Russia in the name of stardom, Debbie’s dream is slowly turning into a nightmare. Following a simple mistake, she becomes all but sure her pursuit for ballet greatness is over. Back in the present day, however, Jake prepares to give his mum some much-needed good news at last.

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Frank Film Club

Calling all film buffs – consider this your new favourite weekly film club, hosted by four women who work in the industry (including Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams). From shots and edits to casting and score, they’ll unpack a range of titles: from little-known indies to box-office smashes, documentaries to foreign-language films… and everything in between. There’s something for everyone in the mix – from old-age classics to modern-day hits – making it a great one to dip in and out of when the subject matter suits.

Episode Highlight: Thelma & Louise – Ridley Scott

This episode, the four women discuss classic film Thelma & Louise. One of those movies everyone claims to have seen, it follows two friends who hit the road after shooting a man who assaulted them. Released in 1991, the women discuss what the plot means in today’s modern world, as well as their favourite scenes and standout performances. A must-listen.

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How To Be An Artist

This new eight-part podcast series is brought to you by famed hotel group Soho House and hosted by Kate Bryan – the brand’s Global Head of Collections. Talking to some of the most influential and global contemporary artists, whose work features throughout their properties around the world, she’ll be asking them what it takes to be an artist in the modern world and what it means to them.

Episode Highlight: Hebru Brantley

In this instalment, Kate speaks to artist and creator of the iconic characters Flyboy and Lil Mama: Hebru Brantley. Heavily influenced by the murals and graffiti work of Chicago’s South Side in the 1960s and 1970s, he continues to work within those traditions to explore themes of nostalgia, power and hope. Here, Brantley talks about the significance that anime, comic books and manga had on his childhood and also shares what it was like to collaborate with the likes of Nike and Cadillac, and his immersive installation, ‘Nevermore Park’.

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Emily Atack: Lie Detector

Why do we lie and where do we draw the line between bending the truth and a whopping fib? In this podcast, it’s okay not to believe everything you hear. Each week television star Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners) investigates stories of dishonesty, fakery and lies – hearing from the victims and the perpetrators of some of the most elaborate hoaxes to reveal the truth.

Episode Highlight: How Well Do You Know Your Partner?

To kick things off, Emily investigates the world of bigamy and meets two women who discovered their husbands weren’t exactly what they seemed. First up, hear from Yve, who turned detective to find out that her husband had gone and married someone else, while Mary learned all-too-late that her husband was already married, and had 14 secret children. What would prompt someone to have multiple wives? And what does it feel like to find out? Emily sets out to answer both questions and more.

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Raw

Imagine fleeing across a mountain range. Imagine being told you can’t earn a living because of your gender. Imagine hearing that you will never walk again. This Eurosport original podcast goes under the skin and straight to the heart of the obstacles professional sportspeople have overcome to reach the top of their game. Across the world, there are extraordinary people who have fought against extreme hardship and prejudice to be able to compete, with this new eight-part series telling the story of their incredible achievements.

Episode Highlight: Alison van Uytvanck & Greet Minnen – Making History at Wimbledon

When Alison Van Uytvanck and Greet Minnen teamed up in the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in 2019, they did something that nobody had ever done before. An openly gay couple had never played on court together at a Grand Slam, and with Billie Jean King at Wimbledon and 30,000 people at London’s Pride celebration down the road, this combined for a hyper visible showing of an LGBTQ+ relationship in elite sport. Here, Alison and Greet share their thoughts on overcoming the fears of what other people think, embracing differences, and their journey for acceptance in the sporting world.

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Role Model With Leomie Anderson

Hosted by supermodel and entrepreneur Leomie Anderson, tune into this podcast to hear real conversations with some of the world’s brightest stars. On a mission to amplify the voices of young people across the world, Leomie’s guests will share how they have learned to do life on their terms and help you do the same – think Winnie Harlow, Jourdan Dunn, Destiny Child's Michelle Williams and more.

Episode Highlight: Jourdan Dunn

Fashion icon Jourdan Dunn has walked the runway for every top designer out there. During this episode, she tells Leomie what it takes to rise to the top while raising a child, how a model apartment in New York is the filthiest flat share there is (who said fashion was glamorous?), and why it’s time the industry did more for Black models and consumers. A fascinating insight into what it means to be a woman of colour in the fashion world today.

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Oti Mabuse: The Rhythm Of Life

Join award winning professional dancer, choreographer, presenter, judge and two-time Strictly Come Dancing glitterball champion (not to mention friend of SL) Oti Mabuse, as she sits down with her closest celebrity friends to show a side we've never seen before. They'll be talking about their passions, their downfalls and what makes them tick – in short, get ready to get up close and personal.

Episode Highlight: Carrie Grant, Part 1

Broadcaster, campaigner and presenter Dr Carrie Grant MBE joins Oti on this week’s episode as the duo get stuck into what makes her tick – especially after having faced some huge life-changing challenges. Each instalment is broken down into two parts – so whether it’s this episode or another, remember to come back for round two to enjoy the entire interview.

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The Vaping Fix

Two young Silicon Valley entrepreneurs set out to rid the world of smoking with an incredible new product. The device stands to disrupt the tobacco industry and make them rich, until it falls into the wrong hands and lives are ruined. From classrooms to hospitals, boardrooms to the Oval Office, what can be done to protect teenagers and is it too late? From Laura Beil, the reporter behind Dr Death and Bad Batch, comes this new podcast – the inside story of the rise of Juul and the making of a crisis.

Episode Highlight: Playing With Fire

James Monsees and Adam Bowen, two Stanford University graduate students, have an idea – one they believe could save millions of lives and rid the world of the perils of traditional nicotine-based smoking. The goal is personal after all: they’re both smokers. But even good intentions can have unintended consequences… as the duo will eventually find out.

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The Witness: In His Own Words

In 2005, Joseph O'Callaghan's testimony helped convict two drug-dealing gangsters for murder, and he became the youngest person ever to enter the Witness Protection Programme in Ireland. Now, as the men he put away agitate for release, he tells his extraordinary life story in his own words for the first time. The podcast is based on Nicola Tallant’s best-selling book The Witness, for anyone who wants to know even more.

Episode Highlight: The Milkman

It’s 1997 and Joseph’s story starts in Dublin. When an unexpected visitor calls to the door, the then 12-year-old decides to get himself a job on the milk round. But his delight at securing his first job quickly turns to fear, as his boss’s true intentions are slowly revealed. Gripping.

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Planet Normal

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the changes that have taken place over the last year or so? Every Thursday, tune into this podcast, hosted by conservative Telegraph columnists, Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan, for news, views – and a little bit of a reality check – around the latest pandemic facts and figures. From the economic peril of future winter lockdowns to where Covid-19 really came from, the duo aims to shed some light and bust some of the main coronavirus myths.

Episode Highlight: Top Hats, PPE And Crashing Disappointment

Given how topical this podcast is, it’s best to start with the latest instalment – not least because the stats around the ongoing pandemic seem to change by the day. In this episode, Allison and Liam look at the delay to ‘Freedom Day’ and tell listeners why they feel a rebellion rising. Can opinion polls suggesting the country still supports lockdown be true? Not according to Liam, who explains why he thinks pollsters’ leading questions are skewing the results. Meanwhile Allison impresses Liam with her newly acquired scientific vocabulary, and ‘George’ shares some exciting news.

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