It’s Friday, which means another round of Earworms from PodPod, here with the latest podcast industry listening recommendations and a round-up of all the new series that launched this week.
Today’s recommendations and new releases include voices from previous winners of the British Podcast Awards - which are still open for applications with early bird pricing.
What’s in the industry’s ears?
James Threfall - Presenter, BBC, 433 & F1 Arcade
I’m currently listening to the Hawk vs Wolf podcast, which sees skateboarding legend Tony Hawk hosting alongside former pro skater and presenter, Jason Ellis. As a skateboarder myself and lover of entertainment, the pair combine the two perfectly for me - whether they’re joined by an A-list guest or simply chatting between themselves about their worst falls or the time they were lent a Ferrari and got to take it for a spin on the Autobahn. If you’re looking for a great episode to get stuck into, I recommend scrolling back to February for the episode with Seth Rogen!
Kirk Flash - Writer and podcast host, THIS IS GAY
This week, I was sent this episode on the effects of alcohol from the Huberman Lab podcast - because I was genuinely curious on the topic, not because I have an issue and loaded podcast recommendations are the only way to get through to me. After I got over the fact Dr. Huberman looks like the kind of man who hosts problematic alpha male seminars, I actually listened, and it turns out the science of alcohol and the body is mind-blowing. Listen for the advice on hangovers if nothing else.
Matt Rouse - Podcast lead, Octave Audio
I am a huge movie nerd and absolutely love listening to The Rewatchables. Each episode focuses on a different film and the hosts use categories such as ‘most rewatchable scene’ and "what's aged the best / worst" to pick apart the reasons of what makes each particular film such a 'rewatchable'. There is a large roster of hosts, however you always know you're in for a good listen when the OG lineup of Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan and Sean Fennessey get in the room together to discuss a classic - like they did with this week's episode which focussed on Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic Alien.
Sam Parker - Creative director, WIZZFX
Recently I’ve been trying to exclude audio nerdy podcasts from my listening leisure; there’s enough of that during the working day! My go-to this week has been catching up on Whisper's The High Performance Podcast. For an interview-based format deep-diving into the lives of successful personnel, I find that Jake and Damian’s interview technique make it a much less intense listen than other similar titles. The different ways each interviewee has gone about pursuing the marginal gains that make them a top performer in their field is always fascinating. I’m currently reading Atomic Habits so the episode with author James Clear has lined up well for me this week.
Rebecca Dalby - Head of Marketing, Spreaker from iHeart
As a dedicated podcast listener, particularly drawn to True Crime and serious Society and Culture content, I make one weekly exception: My Therapist Ghosted Me. This lighthearted show never fails to make me laugh with its candid conversations. As an Irish person living abroad, it serves as a midweek pick-me-up that helps me feel connected to home.
Freshly dropped
Filthy Ritual
Award-winning co-hosts of hit true-crime podcast RedHanded, Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, have partnered with Global to host a new true crime podcast which premiered this Wednesday. The weekly series, titled Filthy Ritual, uncovers the story behind Juliette D’Souza, a convicted con woman who claimed that she was a shaman with healing powers and scammed £1 million out of vulnerable people.
Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten
Sexologist Chatelle Otten is the host of new Audible and Storyglas original podcast, Sex Therapy. Throughout the series, Otten shares real life recorded sex therapy sessions from anonymous patients with her audience so that they can listen to how she works with the individuals and open these conversations that are usually considered ‘taboo’. The series premiered this Tuesday and will continue to release weekly.
Social Creatures
Sprout Social’s marketing podcast Social Creatures is back for another season with host Cat Anderson, this time focusing on the great minds behind some of the most intriguing and successful social media campaigns. The first episode of the new weekly series dropped on Tuesday with LinkedIn head of community Katie Carroll on as the first guest, talking all about the workfluencer marketing trend and how individuals can take advantage of it.
Bodies
Season four of documentary-style medical mystery podcast Bodies launched this week on Wednesday, exploring how women and marginalised genders deal with health-related issues in their lives. The first episode of the series, with host Allison Behringer, is titled Touch and looks at four stories you can feel.
Call Me Disabled
The third and final winner of Acast Amplifier UK’s podcast incubator programme, Poppy Field, released the first episode of her podcast Call Me Disabled on Thursday this week. The podcast looks at celebrating the joyous lives of disabled people and features interviews with a range of guests that Field admires including disabled activists, authors, and artists.
