PODCASTS

THE BEST AUDIO SHOWS TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK

SCARLETT MOFFATT WANTS TO BELIEVE The bizarre world of Miss Moffatt

Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt is a sucker for conspiracy theories. In her joyful new BBC podcast, she attempts to persuade her sceptical ‘boyf’ and ‘bestie’, Scott, that the bizarre things she believes are rooted in fact. Boyfriend-girlfriend podcasts mostly set my teeth on edge, but this one is charming. A good starting point is the show about the Loch Ness monster.

JULIE’S LIBRARY Let Mary Poppins read you a story

I could listen to Julie Andrews (right) read the side of a packet of Pringles. In her new podcast, she settles down with her daughter Emma to read their ir favourite children’s books. The podcast is very much for kids but it’s made intelligently enough to be endurable for grown-ups too. The stories are laced with sound effects that elevate proceedings to something quite immersive.

THIS TH AMERICAN LIFE Moving M stories from the States

This is the grandfather of podcasts – its team made the h hit show Serial, and the verbal tics ti of its host, Ira Glass, have become bec embedded in podcasts across acros the globe. I’ve recently tuned back in and am pleased to report the show is still top-notch. Episodes are arranged around quirky stories of American life. Start with ‘The Reprieve’, which plunges listeners into an intensive care unit in Michigan.

DOING IT RIGHT Open up Pandora’s box of issues

Journalist Pandora Sykes is one half of the couple behind hit podcast The High Low. Now she has a new series by herself about the ‘trivialities, myths and anxieties’ of modern life. Episodes are weekly, 40 minutes long, and dig into questions Sykes has been asking herself after years of writing about women, capitalism and popular culture. The first episode is with comedian Joe Lycett.