Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and nine more perfect PODCASTS
21. FOOTIE CHAT WITH THE GAME’S LANKIEST PLAYER
With the sporting world at a standstill, now’s the moment to soak up That Peter Crouch Podcast, a brilliantly laddy and cheerful show. He and two co-presenters intersperse football chat with jokes and insights into the sport, covering everything from what happens at half-time to the transfers season.
22. A TALE THAT REALLY CHIMES
S-Town, made by the team responsible for the awardwinning Serial podcast, explores the life and times of a clock-maker from Alabama. It’s packed with twists and dizzying reveals, but is memorable for its moving portrait of an enigmatic loner longing for connection.
23. DIARY OF A FAILURE
Elizabeth Day had the idea for her podcast, How To Fail, when she had a break-up at 39 and wished that failure was something that was talked about more readily. On each episode she asks a celebrity to reveal when they have really messed up. Past guests include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nigel Slater and Andrew Scott. Funny and warm, it’s a timely reminder that we all make mistakes.
24. CURRENT AFFAIRS MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR
Don’t be fooled by The Daily host
Michael Barbaro’s unprepossessing manner – this
New York Times current affairs podcast stands head and shoulders above the competition. Barbaro breaks down complex stories into bare essentials.
25. A TRIVIA AVALANCHE
On every hour-long episode, of
No Such Thing As A Fish, four researchers from QI huddle around a mic to revel in trivia. You’ll emerge radiating facts. Who would have thought, for instance, that rejected names for storms include Noddy, Baldrick and Branch Wobbler?
26. HISTORY MADE SIMPLE
You’re Dead To Me is a history podcast presented by Greg Jenner for people who aren’t interested in history. Each 45minute episode explores a particularly fascinating period or historical personality. Kick off with the episode on young Napoleon.
27. IRELAND’S FIRST SERIAL KILLER
RTÉ dips its toe into the true crime genre with a new six-part series which launched last month. Written and narrated by Tim Hinman, alongside others,
The Nobody Zone is a riveting podcast detailing the murderous rampage of Ireland’s first serial killer, Kieran Patrick Kelly.
28. COMPELLING REFUGEE TALE
Intrigue: Tunnel 29 is a thrilling, ten-part BBC series that reveals the astonishing true story of a group of young men who helped refugees flee from East to West Berlin by digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall.
29. A SOBERING STORY OF GREED HI-TECH AMBITION AND FAILURE
The Dropout charts the gripping rise and fall of Silicon Valley darling Elizabeth Holmes, who became the youngest self-made female billionaire thanks to her company, Theranos. It’s a story about greed and self-deception – and one of the best series around.
30. LET GWYNNIE SOOTHE YOUR SOUL
Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle company, is still resolutely churning out its surprisingly good show, The Goop Podcast. Tune in to hear Paltrow and her mellifluous chief content officer, Elise Loehnen, interviewing people they admire, from tech gurus and scientists to ‘healers’ and ‘seekers’. It’s good fun and (say it quietly) not as bonkers as you might expect.