A podcast a day keeps the silence away.
Podcasts are a fast-growing medium, beloved for their ability to fill space with entertainment and education, and slotting easily into our busy lives. In fact, Insider Intelligence projects that the global number of regular podcast listeners will hit 424.2 million by the end of 2022, accounting for 20.3% of internet users.
To celebrate International Podcast Day 🎉 members of the C8 team share their current favourite podcast. The wide range of choices highlights the eclectic taste of the office, from the wonderful world of F1 to the bright lights of Hollywood, from comedy to sneakers, we may have something for everyone here, and surprisingly no one recommended Off Menu!
Have you listened to any of the team’s favourites? What are you listening to at the moment? Use #C8recommends to let us know, we look forward to hearing your recommendations!
Scriptnotes – Megan Mackintosh
I like to use different podcasts for different moments in my life: I have morning podcasts, cooking podcasts, and podcasts to sleep to. When I originally started listening to ‘Scriptnotes’ by John August and Craig Mazin, it was as much about how easily I could fall asleep to their voices (and very gentle theme tune) as it was about the content, but it has fast become my favourite podcast.
As renowned screenwriters, responsible for works ranging from Chernobyl to Charlie’s Angels, they regularly interview the creators of some of the most popular content on TV, or streaming. The podcast breaks down every aspect of story telling, from dialogue and exposition to flashbacks and handling sensitive real-world stories in film. As an ex-English student and current PR professional, I can’t recommend it enough!
You’re Dead to Me – Hannah Richards
My favourite podcast sounds far more morbid that it actually is! If I told you ‘You’re Dead to Me’ is a comedy podcast, you wouldn’t believe me… until I explained it has a bit of history thrown in, then it begins to make more sense.
The former head historian behind Horrible Histories, Greg Jenner, has merged the wonderful worlds of history and comedy to great effect. Every episode focuses on a different element from the past, ranging from the history of timekeeping, the extraordinary life of Mary Shelley, understanding disability in the ancient world, and the history of ice cream, and many more. Alongside a leading history scholar and comedian, Greg Jenner brings any history topic to life, making history enjoyable for all! You learn and you laugh, it is the perfect mix!
F1: Beyond the Grid – Jim Pople
The drive into work is a great time to get my geek on and listen to a number of podcasts in my library; these range from motorsports to war, sport, and space. However, I do like the regularity of receiving the latest official podcast from F1, ‘Beyond the Grid’, every Wednesday featuring a number of interviews with the key players in the sport.
Whilst you would think that the official podcast of the sport would be very vanilla and ‘on message’, it’s great to go behind the scenes of the polished spectacle we see on TV every couple of weeks – especially with those personalities no longer involved, and who can speak their mind! It’s great to hear little anecdotes that no one knows about, i.e., the lucky breaks that they experienced to get into F1, or the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that they grabbed with both hands; it makes a sport of driving around in circles a whole lot more exciting.
What Would the Aunties Say? – Ameesha Patel
One of my favourite podcasts is filled with humour and warmth, ‘What Would the Aunties Say?’ by Anchal Seda, a beauty influencer and podcaster. She openly and honestly explores the shared experiences of “the brown girls”, from Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi women, living in the Western world.
As a child of first-generation Indian immigrants, I and my peers live in a very different world today to our parents, uncles, aunties, and grandparents, which comes with lots of unwritten rules and expectations. Anchal shares her own experiences with stories and dilemmas of other young women like her, from education and career to beauty standards and colourism, to dating and marriage and the taboo of mental health and therapy within the South Asian community. Guest stars from Jay Shetty to Neelam Kaur Gill provide their own experiences which will make you nod your head in recognition, helping listeners to handle the challenges we face whilst embracing the benefits of the Eastern and Western cultures, and encouraging me to be unapologetically myself.
The Complex Sneakers Podcast – John Vignaux
Firstly, I do have to admit I am not an avid podcast listener, but of the few I do listen to my favourite is ‘The Complex Sneakers’ podcast; niche I know. Since my teenage years I have been into trainers or ‘sneakers’ – depending which side of the pond you’re from – but I listen to this podcast less for the topic and more for the dynamic of the three hosts.
The hosts are all very different, with differing taste, lifestyles, and opinions but with a shared love and extensive knowledge about sneakers and the surrounding cultures and influences. The conversation is both enjoyable and easy to listen to; often I can’t help myself but smile whether listening on the bus, train or in bed. I would highly recommend, whether you know the difference between apples and pears or not.