MORE POWERFUL PODCASTS

‘Listen and learn, listen and love.’

Another Podcast post. 6 podcasts that I particularly love. This week I thought I’d share some more of my favourite podcasts. Whether it’s because they’ve taught me, enlightened me, inspired me or simply entertained me, here’s a few that I’d recommend listening to and a brief outline of what they cover.

1)  1) HAPPY PLACE:
Hosted by Fearne Cotton, this podcast is equally beautiful and inspirational. Bringing a different guest on for each episode, she discusses what helps them experience happiness, as well as the difficulties they’ve faced through their life. It’s insightful hearing about others’ lives and through discussing the mind and its battles it helps to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health. It’s reassuring to remind yourself that you’re not alone and that everyone has their highs and lows. Fearne is a great host, very compassionate, calm and a great listener. There are some very insightful conversations and inspirational guests from TV stars, musicians, athletes and all, a whole host of celebrities, it’s interesting to hear such honestly and rawness beneath the public portrayal. ‘Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them.’

2   2) WHO YOU DON’T SEE:
This is a podcast hosted by journalist and presenter Megan Lawton. I love it as it allows you to see behind the scenes of the celebrities and faces that we know so well, to hear more about those involved but less spoken about, bringing them to the forefront and giving them a platform to tell their story. The conversations are very relaxed which is always fun to listen to, it’s fascinating to hear about how they got to where they are today, their job and what it’s like to do their job alongside someone so high profile. Megan is a wonderful host, which is understandable since she’s a very experienced journalist and presenter, she’s equipped with the skills to ask the best questions and allow time for guests to provide honest answers. Some examples include hearing from Celebrity Stylist’s, Make-up and hair artists, Vocal coach’s, Bodyguards, Personal trainers, backing singers and choreographers. ‘Each week she chats to a new industry expert, exploring what they get up to on a typical day, hears techniques for overcoming nerves and gets the inside scoop on what it’s like to work with some of the biggest names in pop culture.’

3   3) DESERT ISLAND DISCS:
A classic easy going listen that will never get old. Hosted and aired on BBC Radio 4, this podcast is equally soothing and intriguing. It’s always interesting to hear about different guests lives and how they got to where they are now. Guests include household names from actors to sports stars, singers and famous television personalities. It’s exciting to hear others choices and always fun to question what you would personally choose to. ‘Eight tracks, a book and a luxury item. What would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.’

4   4) GROUNDED:
Hosted by the legend Louis Theroux and produced by Radio 4, this podcast doesn’t need much of an explanation as to why it’s one of my favourites. Theroux is enough to win the hearts of the nation, let alone the content he shares. He created this podcast during the first Coronavirus Lockdown, taking the opportunity to interview and hear from many industry professionals about their life and journey to now. Theroux is a perfect host, he is an incredible listener and creates a calm and trusting space for the guest to open up and feel comfortable sharing. He has a very warm and safe presence that comes through in his voice and his approach on the podcast, he probes and delves deep with questions but in a very gentle way that allows the guest to step back or not answer if they wish to. Guests include Boy George, Helena Bonham Carter, Lenny Henry, Michaela Coel, Rylan-Clark Neal, Riz Ahmed and FKA Twigs. ‘Louis is using lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – they’re from all walks of life and no both sides of the Atlantic. He will speak to a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious – digging into the psyches of some of the biggest names in the US and UK. The podcast will bring you up and close to these characters and their wildly different life experiences – you’ll understand them just a little bit better.’

5   5) CHANGES:
Another gloriously insightful listen is Changes, a podcast hosted by the DJ and presenter Annie Macmanus, or ‘Annie Mac’ as she is widely known as. Hence the name, she chats to different guests about the topic of change. The change they are faced in their life, how they have dealt with it and what they have learnt from in. This podcast reassures you that although change can be scary, it’s also exciting and a place where growth can occur. It’s a reminder that change is inevitable and would be pretty boring without it. Annie has a very warm and relaxed manner when hosting, and as a DJ and presenter she is used to the hosting role which explains her comfort and ease throughout. Guests include other radio hosts including Sara Cox, Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw and Clara Amfo, as well as big names including writer Caitlin Moran, singer Robyn, and actors Michael Sheen and Billie Piper. ‘Each artist talks through the biggest changes they’ve overcome in childhood, adulthood and how they effect change. The podcast explores how change punctuates our lives, how it can totally derail us and define who we are. How we confront it, react to it and try to activate it has never been more important than in this moment.’

6)  6) BOUNCING BACK WITH JAMES MIDDLETON:
Hosted by fitness coach James Middleton, this podcast is all about questioning our perspective, choices, behaviour and priorities. It’s all about reframing, breaking down and thinking about the way we live and prioritising our own health, wellbeing and happiness. In contrast to many other podcasts, James doesn’t have guests, it’s just him talking about topics and sharing his own opinions on the matter. It’s very insightful and I love the pace of the podcast, despite the large ideas he discusses it’s an easy going, calming listen and strays away from becoming too overwhelming. He speaks very eloquently and breaks down huge topics into segments and chunks of discussion within them. It’s interesting to hear his opinion, even if I disagree it’s always useful to hear and learn from. Each episode covers a different subject, from being comfortable being uncomfortable, ego, priorities, sex, relationships, the present, success, the voice in our head, dating and the meaning of life. It is predominantly based on human psychology and the mind which I’m very drawn to, breaking down the way we function as human beings in this crazy but beautiful world. ‘A fitness coach living in a philosophical mind explores the lessons we can learn from setbacks, failures and losses and how these things can shape us into becoming better human beings.’