Listen Up Who goes there?
LAURA DAVIS
DOCTOR WHO
REDACTED
On the same day Jodie
Whittaker’s Doctor
Who Easter special landed on TV, the first episode of this much-anticipated podcast was released on BBC Sounds.
Not that the titular character has put in much of an appearance so far – apart from the occasional message warning of a major threat to Earth.
Instead, we meet the stars of a podcast dedicated to unravelling the secrets of a mysterious ‘blue box’ that keeps cropping up around London, and various potentially related weird goings-on such as a diet company that suddenly vanished 14 years ago after its customers started dying.
If the latter enigma sounds familiar then that’s because it’s the plot of Partners in Crime from the David Tennant and Catherine Tate era – and the podcast promises lots of other fun references for fans to nod knowingly at.
Like in all the best Doctor Who stories, you immediately feel like you’ve know the characters for ages.
And the first episode ends with a clanger of a cliffhanger that will make you hit the subscribe button faster than a Weeping Angel can move in the dark.
WHERE TO START: There’s a trailer but if you like Doctor Who you may as well just get stuck right in to episode one.
NEVER HAVE I EVER Like most married couples, actor Joel Dommett and his model wife Hannah Cooper spent more time together during lockdown than they ever imagined.
But since the country started opening up again they have realised they don’t do many things as a couple any more – and may as well get a podcast out of rectifying that.
So now their calendars are busy with random, wacky challenges suggested by themselves, their producer or by us, their listeners.
So far they’ve visited a strip club, tried weight-lifting and spent a morning at puppy yoga. Their easy-going banter makes this a fun, lighthearted listen and could even give you some inspiration for your own date nights. WHERE TO START: Hannah and Joel dress in full gym gear for Puppy Yoga, only to discover that it’s far more about the pets than the positions.
All podcasts available on the usual platforms unless otherwise stated
TALES FROM THE VEG PATCH Food writer Kathy Slack invites you into her veg patch for a 15-minute rural retreat as she shares tips on growing, weekly recipes and stories about the healing power of gardening.
She fell in love with the green-fingered life when her mental health plummeted so badly that she forgot how to turn the shower on.
Buried in PowerPoint presentations and dashing between meetings, she found herself sobbing in her veg patch before realising that it held the key to her recovery from depression.
WHERE TO START: The Love Story of the Overlooked Leek trust me, you’ll never look at this humble vegetable in the same way again.