YOUNG AGAIN

Are you taking the next step in your relationship? Do you have anything you would tell your younger self if you could go back and talk to them now? Or do you just want a laugh? One of this week’s podcasts could be for you.

BBC stalwart Kirsty Young is back with another series of Young Again, in which the presenter asks celebrity guests what they’d tell their younger selves if they could go back and talk to them now.

It’s a conversation starter that possesses endless appeal. Who doesn’t love getting into the inner thoughts of the rich and famous? And often it transpires that, while celebs’ lives look very different on the outside, there’s something totally relatable in the challenges they’ve experienced and the wisdom they’ve gleaned from their own past struggles.

First up for the new series is Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, 65. Most of the episode is a trip down memory lane, as Peter reflects on his path from workingclass Glasgow lad to household name, starring in shows including Doctor Who and The Thick Of It.

But it wasn’t your typical rise to showbiz fame – Peter talks about ‘almost’ breaking Hollywood after winning an Oscar for a short film he directed in the Nineties, only for the attention to disappear, leaving him thinking it was all over.

Ultimately though, he believes it made him a better actor, and shifted his perspective on the difference between success and having a rewarding career. It’s a gentle, insightful listen, ideal with a morning cuppa.

■ By Abi Jackson

THE VENDORS TABLE

Joined by a recently married Tiffany and her make-up artist Christiana in the latest episode, the host of the bi-weekly podcast The Vendors Table, MC Mide brings together different wedding vendors and couples to talk about what really goes on behind the scenes at weddings, while also getting them to share some useful tips and pointers to help the recently engaged plan their big day, or at least make it a bit less stressful.

After a fun wedding-themed icebreaker, MC Mide asks Tiffany – who grew up in France – about how she went about finding Christiana to do her make-up. Using Instagram as her main source of help, she managed to narrow things down and loved how her make-up looked after her first trial.

But there is so much more to the big day that Tiffany mentioned.

For example, we learn why she introduced the “three-month rule” when selecting the 65 people who attended her wedding at Carlton House Terrace near Buckingham Palace. If she hadn’t spoken to a potential guest within three months, they didn’t make the cut.

It seems this was all about keeping things simple, trying to stay within their budget, and making sure that her nearest and dearest could be there to witness her big day.

The Vendors Table is a great podcast for people who are taking the next step in their relationship and are looking for uncensored advice on how to make their nuptials everything they dreamed of.

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ELIS JAMES AND JOHN ROBINS

Returning to BBC Sounds, bigger and better for 2024, awardwinning BBC Radio 5 presenters Elis James and John Robins are releasing two podcast episodes every week – which has become more of a regular thing for mainstream podcasts. But this busy schedule now means that for the duo, Tuesdays have gone through something of a rebrand and are now cool. It’s their new Friday. In the latest episode, there are a lot of laughs and an interesting conversation about tipping culture in the UK.

There are some places where you always tip, but the pair ponder why it’s not the done thing to tip a helpful sales assistant working at Sainsbury’s.

Then John shares a ridiculous story about an injury he picked up whilst racing against someone in fancy dress, which is a representative taster of the irreverent personal anecdotes that pepper the show. Add to this some fun pop culture references, and the conversations between the two presenters are unpredictable and often sidesplittingly funny. It’s this easy chemistry that makes the best mates work so well together.

■ By Yolanthe Fawehinmi

Ellis James and John Robins tackle a thorny issue on their podcast

The pair ponder why it’s not the done thing to tip a helpful sales assistant working at Sainsbury’s

By Yolanthe Fawehinmi