LISTEN UP!
YOU’VE rewatched every episode of The Sopranos, collapsed in front of PE with Joe Wicks and wine-zoomed all your friends. Now we’re into our fourth week of lockdown and in need of something new to distract ourselves from constantly checking social media, panicking about coronavirus and worrying you haven’t taken up sourdough baking or learned to speak Guatemalan.
It’s time to discover podcasts – or to rediscover them if the change in routine has messed up your listening habits.
The commute to work may be on hiatus for many of us, but there are still lots of opportunities to listen. Pop in your earbuds as you leave the house for your permitted daily exercise or while you get stuck into cleaning the bathroom.
With 850,000 active podcasts and more than 30 million episodes in existence as of January, there is something to appeal to just about everyone.
But that can also make it difficult to know where to start. So we’ve picked out a range of podcasts to help you through lockdown – including some that even seasoned podcast listeners may not have discovered yet.
FIND YOUR TRIBE
HOPEFULLY between phone calls, social media and Zoom you are managing to keep in touch with family and friends. But at a time when shared experiences and feeling part of a community has never been more important, these podcasts feature some of the best friends you’ll never meet.
Journalists Susan
Lee and Dawn Collinson tackle puberty’s older sister one gin and tonic at a time, with guests sharing their experiences and shining a light on a time of life that is rarely spoken about – the menopause.
You may recognise Giovanna Fletcher from the author pic in her novels – or from her appearances in Cbeebies show The Baby Club.
Married to Mcfly’s Tom Fletcher, she chats to other high-profile mums and dads about every aspect of parenting, including The Duchess of Cambridge in February this year! Recent guests include singer Alesha Dixon and Bake Off judge Prue Leith.
This is one for anyone who has ever felt socially awkward, shy or is skilled in making an embarrassing situation even worse.
Geoff Lloyd and Annabel Port share their own uncomfortable experiences as well as giving advice on listeners’ sticky situations.
ESCAPE INTO A GOOD STORY
FROM real lives to some of the best podcast drama out there, these podcasts will draw you in and make you forget about the real world...
This beautifully told true story opens as a murder investigation but morphs into a tale of one man’s simple but extraordinary life – his passions, fears, prejudices and feuds.
A failing funeral parlour run by Rudyard Funn and his equally miserable twin sister Antigone is the setting for this brilliantly funny podcast sitcom. When a polished and well-liked competitor arrives they are forced to take action. Oh, and it’s narrated by a mouse.
STARRING Jonathan Groff (Frozen’s Kristoff ) and Broadway star Jessie Shelton as a recently estranged married couple, this podcast musical is based on the series of 36 questions a US psychologist believes will make strangers fall in love. It’s witty, heartwarming and will make you cry real tears – the good type.
EXPERIENCE THE GREAT OUTDOORS
APART from our permitted daily exercise, we’re all missing getting outside and stretching our legs in this beautiful weather. But there are ways of exploring the great outdoors from your living room...
Famous names from the world of folk music take former BBC executive Matthew Bannister through a landscape that has inspired them. It’s fascinating, uplifting and you don’t have to be passionate about folk to enjoy it.
Take a walk along Britain’s windswept coastline with the people who have made their lives at the edge – from a widower finding friendship through a dog walking club on the beach, to the street artists revitalising a faded seaside town. Full disclosure – this is one of my podcasts. I hope you get as much pleasure from listening as I have making it.
One thing we’re noticing during lockdown are all the little sounds of nature that would usually be hidden by the sound of traffic. But if you don’t have a garden or just want something to help you get to sleep, this podcast is made up simply of birdsong.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
EVER meant to find out about a particular period of history or learn more about a historical figure?
Away from the usual demands on your time, this is the perfect opportunity.
Here are a couple of podcasts to get you started...
Uncover the hidden stories and meet the fascinating characters behind the National Trust’s homes, gardens and landscapes in this fortnightly podcast.
Recent episodes include a look at back-to-back houses and how to create a deeper connection with the natural world through ‘sensory walking’.
COMEDIAN Russell Kane shares sides of feted famous figures that you may not be aware of, revealing their dark legacies, hidden prejudices and downright dodgy behaviour. A panel of guests decides whether the featured person is a hero or a villain.
You can find all these podcasts on the usual apps such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Player FM. Download your choice of app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.