One thing that podcasts do very successfully is provide people with a platform that allows them to relax and showcase their real personalities. Many short-form celebrity interviews can seem somewhat superficial, but podcasts give guests and hosts a safe space to unwind and speak from their hearts.
This is what we’re seeing this week with new launches such as Speidi’s 16th Minute, a podcast hosted by MTV reality television power couple Heidi and Spencer Pratt. On the other side of the coin, Terribly Famous is a new show from Wondery that looks at the public stories some of the UK’s biggest stars. Elsewhere, this week’s Earworms features a slew of recommendations from industry experts, including everything from business analysis to 90s football.
What’s in the industry’s ears?
Rose Frimpong - Co-host, Two Twos Podcast
I listen to The Classic Manny Show and what I like about his podcast is that he is a Black, Queer content creator but he doesn't talk about Black Queerness, he talks about music. I just like it when Black Queer people can show up and talk about something that's not queerness or their identity, because it can be quite taxing. Those that do are valid, but it's also valid if someone chooses not to speak about it as well.
Thomas Balaam - Business director, Mindshare
The podcast I most look forward to listening to every week is Quickly Kevin; will he score? The 90s football podcast, presented by Josh Widdicombe, Chris Scull & Michael Marden. How these guys continue to produce content for a niche podcast about 90s football is beyond me, but it continues to be funny and entertaining every week.
Ben Kerr - Managing director, S:E Creative Studios
Lately, I’ve been listening to The Colin & Samir show. It gives some genuinely interesting insights into the empires of some of the world’s biggest creators, lifting the curtain on their creative process and mindset in a way you won’t hear anywhere else. However, you do need a puke bucket handy, as it can take itself very seriously!
Tash Walker - Producer, Aunt Nell
A podcast I really admire is called Shortcuts, which is made for BBC Radio 4. It's wonderful little snippets of sound design, or poetry or stories that aren't often shared. You can pitch to them directly if you're an audio producer or writer, and each episode is about 20 minutes long. It’s a really lovely, textured soundscape and often beautiful words.
James Kirkham - CEO and founder, ICONIC
I'm a little bit addicted to Pivot from New York Magazine, with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. This brilliant weekly take on business and big technology thrives because of the relationship between these magical hosts. Galloway is uncannily accurate with his predictions and razor-sharp with his analysis, but it’s their mutual acerbic wit and sarcasm refreshingly juxtaposed with stories and anecdotes which make the show a must-listen.
Freshly dropped
The Motability Lifestyle Podcast
Motability’s award-winning Lifestyle magazine has launched a podcast about navigating life in a disabling world, produced in partnership with Wonderly and Rethink Audio. The Motability Lifestyle Podcast debuted its first episode on 31 July, the 45th anniversary of Motability, with hosts disability rights campaigner Samantha Renke and Lifestyle Magazine editor Sophie-Marie Odum.
Speidi’s 16th Minute
Reality TV power couple Heidi and Spencer Pratt, known for their role on MTV’s The Hills, launched a podcast under Spotify’s The Ringer podcast network on Wednesday this week. The podcast, titled Speidi’s 16th Minute, dives into the behind-the-scenes secrets of reality television and dealing with fame in the real world.
Journalista
History podcast Journalista is a new series for iHeartPodcasts which uncovers the untold story of Courtney “Cookie” Hood, the journalist that broke the Iran-Contra scandal and almost took down the Reagan presidency. The weekly series debuted its first two episodes on Tuesday, featuring former bureau chief of The New York Times Stephen Kinzer as the host.
Terribly Famous
Wondery and Amazon Music have launched the first episode of UK original podcast series Terribly Famouson Tuesday this week. The series, hosted by comedians Emily Lloyd-Saini and Anna Leong Brophy, tells the story of today’s biggest stars, with Adele being the main focus of the first season. Other stars that will be explored later include Victoria Beckham, Zayn Malik and Lily Allen.
What in the World
As a news podcast targeted at young podcast consumers, BBC World Service’s What in the World podcast aims to help its listeners make sense of what’s happening around the world. The podcast released its first episode on 31 July and will continue to come out from Monday to Friday weekly.
