AMAZING SPORT STORIES: CHASING MOUNTAINS

Yes, the new BBC Sounds four-part podcast Amazing Sport Stories: Chasing Mountains is all about mountaineering, but it’s also about what makes us human.

Hosted by journalist Joanna Jolly and rock climber Kathy Karlo, the series follows the stories of five mountaineers, Edurne Pasaban from Spain, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner from Austria, and Nives Meroi from Italy, and South Korean climbers Oh Eun-sun and Go Miyoung, who are trying to become the first women to reach the summits of the 14 highest mountains in the world.

“I’m tired, I’m really tired,” said Pasaban, while she was climbing K2 – the secondhighest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest – which has earned the nickname of the “Savage Mountain”.

The listening experience of Amazing Sport Stories: Chasing Mountains is immersive and inspirational.

You will feel compelled to root for them all.

ORANGE COUNTRY

Orange Country is back for a second season with songwriter Shane Mcanally and reality star Gina Kirschenheiter.

They waste no time and get right into the recent shenanigans happening in the latest season of The Real Housewives of Orange County – if you aren’t a huge fan, this episode may not be for you – and dive in deep about what alliances surprised them.

They also speak about the Beverly Hills Housewives, Bravo Housewives, how the franchise has become a “phenomenon empire” over the years and why people are still “uppity” about it and refuse to watch.

Gina, who has been on The Real Housewives of Orange County, admits that the last six years she was on the reality show were transformative for her.

“I’ve never felt taken advantage of and saw it as an opportunity,” she reveals, adding that it was “therapeutic” and “cathartic” for her.

HYPE AND THEN SOME

When Kesi, MBT and Tobi started Hype And Then Some – formally known as Don’t Believe The Hype – in February 2020, they wanted to talk about fashion, culture and everything in between.

Now on episode 148, the fortnightly podcast has continued to grow, and the pair have veered into the world of fashion themselves, with their new chic midnight-blue ‘And Then Some’ hoodies.

The co-hosts kick things off with a segment called Tables Trainers, Trainers Tables, where they go through their latest footwear purchases, including the Maison Margiela tabi boots in calf leather – which Kesi admits take her out of her comfort zone – the triple black Salomon XT-6 trainers and the Reebok classic Maison Margiela tabi trainers.

They then go on to speak about the police raids on music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’. The ongoing row over royalties between Tiktok and Universal Music Group (UMG), accepting cookies on the internet, the evolution of technology and the recent rap battle between J Cole and Kendrick Lamar are also up for discussion, as well as much more.

Sometimes on podcasts with multiple hosts, it’s easy for everyone to just agree with each other, but I enjoyed listening to everyone fight for their corner, “stand on business” and refuse to become a victim of the hype.

BALDY AND THE BIG FELLA

With the help of uplifting music, jingles, sound bites, chemistry and great diction from two friends from Teeside, Baldy (Mark), who has followed American football for 40 years, and The Big Fella (Mark), who is a newbie, this almost felt like I was listening to a long-standing sports radio show.

But in reality, Baldy and The Big Fella only started recording their podcast last

October. They have had guests on the podcast including the UK operations manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and have met the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, Sky Sports presenter Neil Reynolds, and NFL legend Maurice Jones Drew, among others.

Baldy and The Big Fella is an enjoyable and insightful listen for anyone who is into American football or is new to the game.

■ Reviews by Yolanthe Fawehinmi

Sometimes on podcasts with multiple hosts, it’s easy for everyone to just agree with each other, but I enjoyed listening to everyone fight for their corner