What’s new to listen to
Ximena Smith rounds up what podcasts we’re tuning into.
Le Monstre
New from Tenderfoot TV and iHeartMedia, this digs into the story of Belgium’s most notorious paedophile and serial killer, Marc Dutroux. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Dutroux kidnapped and murdered a number of young girls, while Belgian law enforcement seemingly did little to stop him. The case prompted outrage among the Belgian public at the perceived incompetence of Belgian authorities, and it ultimately led to major criminal justice reform in the country. Host Matt Graves walks listeners through the details of Dutroux’s horrific crimes, the botched police investigation and the ongoing impacts of the whole affair, which are still being felt by the victim’s families today. Unsurprisingly, Le Monstre is a grim, disturbing listen, but if grisly true crime is one of your go-to podcast genres, then don’t miss this new 10-part series. The first two episodes of Le Monstre are now available across all podcast platforms, and new episodes will be released every following Tuesday.
Love and Radio
Aside from This American Life, I can’t think of any other narrative podcast show that has been making episodes for as long as this series. Started back in 2005 by Nick Van der Kolk and Adrianne Mathiowetz, the show tells quirky, personal stories, largely without the aid of a host or reporter’s voice to guide listeners – instead, the narrative is mostly driven by the subjects of the story, combined with inventive sound effects and music. In 2019, an exclusive deal with podcasting service Luminary meant that seasons eight and nine of Love and Radio were released behind a paywall, but now, all of those episodes are being released worldwide for free. The episodes out so far have all been in that quintessential Love and Radio style, in which the narrative begins one way, but then it suddenly pivots in a surprising direction. Parts one and two of the Gotcha! episode were particularly suspenseful, so much so that I found myself sitting in my car at the end of a long drive still listening, desperate to find out what happened next. Episodes are being released fortnightly, so once you’ve blitzed your way through all of the new ones, go back into the show’s archives to listen to Living Room, Choir Boy and – if you’re open to something a bit weirder – The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt.
The Church of Social Justice
What are the consequences of declining belief in organised religion around the world? Are we now simply less religious, or does one belief system just get replaced by another one? It’s certainly not a new question – after all, it’s been 140 years since the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche declared ‘‘God is dead’’ – but the journalist and feminist writer Helen Lewis, pictured, manages to put a contemporary spin on the topic in this new BBC audio documentary. Despite being raised as Catholic, Lewis now identifies as an atheist, so when someone asked her recently whether feminism had replaced religion for her, it got her thinking about the parallels between social justice politics and the Church. The focus of the documentary is mainly around the similarities between Leftist political movements and religion, but Right-wing issues get a mention too, and Lewis finds nowhere on the political spectrum is inherently immune to absolutist orthodoxies and accusations of heresy. You can listen to The Church of Social Justice now on the BBC Sounds app.