Truly support
independent journalism
Our mission is to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds the powerful to account and exposes the truth.
Whether it's $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us in offering journalism without agenda.
Have you ever heard of funny true crime stories? Or wondered how to write a book? Then this week's podcast picks will be perfect for you.
1. Reggie Yates' Podcast
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Gender: Culture, comedy and society
The Reggie Yates Podcast is back after four years. It’s still hosted by British TV presenter, writer and director Reggie Yates and his closest and dearest friends Owen, Bubba and Uzo, but it feels different, but the same.
In the first special episode, which wasn't about anything until it wasn't about anything anymore (a run for the Unlocked-produced podcast), the hosts tell listeners everything they've been up to over the past four years, including getting married, making an album, and becoming parents, to name a few.
But in the latest bonus episode that drops every Sunday (regular episodes drop every Thursday), they talk about old Bubba, who used to have road rage and his lackluster driving skills (according to his friends, not me), before executive producer Leanne Alie and social media manager Hot Max ask them some burning questions, including whether they’ve ever heard of the term “b***h sauce” and any crazy secrets they’d like to share. The co-hosts also answered some of the questions listeners left in Reggie’s DMs.
Reggie Yates' podcast, also recorded on video, is a space where four men with long careers talk about current affairs, love, men's mental health and everything in between. It's what makes it exude such a healthy energy.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
2. How to… write a book
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Gender: society and culture
Do you dream of writing that novel, but don't know where to start or aren't sure if your ideas are any good? Then listen to bestselling novelist Elizabeth Day's latest podcast to get expert advice, golden rules, and lived experiences from the writing trenches.
Day, host of the hit podcast 'How To Fail', sits down with three professionals – author Sara Collins, editor Sharmaine Lovegrove and literary agent Nelle Andrew – who offer key advice for budding authors.
First, ideas: how do you turn yours into a voice? Do they have the makings of a compelling story? All four talk about books you enjoy reading, and plots: what stops you from putting one down and feeling devastated when you finish it?
They also talk about the discipline required to sit down and put those words on the page, the process of getting the creative juices flowing ('eating things, going to art galleries, walking, reading novels'), while pointing out that there is no such thing as an original idea, only a way of expressing it.
This is the perfect podcast to give budding writers the push they need to get their work published, but even if you don't have ambitions to be a published author, it pulls back the curtain on the world of books. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
(By Caroline Duggan)
3. Travel with grace
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Gender: Life, health and music
Three words describe Journeys with Grace: immersive, innovative and authentic.
Hanging on to every last word, presenter and singer-songwriter Gigi, also known as Grace or Tope, tells a remarkable, funny and painfully honest story about her battle with small bowel Crohn's disease (she was diagnosed in 2005 after an accidental hospital visit) while trying to pursue her music career.
The first episode, which will be released on August 1, takes listeners on a rollercoaster ride, accented by original music written, performed and produced by Gigi.
It begins with Gigi asking her friend Tora to stay on the phone while she drives home. She is in pain and discomfort, as if “someone is tying her stomach in knots,” and she desperately needs to go to the bathroom.
We learn more about Gigi's Nigerian upbringing and family dynamics, nearly becoming homeless, her disrupted time at college, her move to Brooklyn, New York for a few months to work with music producers, how she dealt with her diagnosis, having to continually defend herself during hospital appointments, and her thoughts on the dangers of the pharmaceutical industry.
Journeys with Grace, which won Spotify’s Sound Up initiative, is proof that there is much more to reclaiming our stories: power, healing, and freedom.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
4. Black Writers: After Hours
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms and YouTube
Gender: Letters
Poet, playwright, and jazz singer Cheryl Martin is the latest guest on Commonword's Black Writers: After Hours podcast.
This episode mentions mental health issues and suicide, so if you want to avoid this content, I recommend skipping to minute 11 30.
Martin, originally from the United States but living in and around Manchester since 1988, began writing (particularly poetry) when she was eight years old and was already dealing with a number of mental health issues, including suicidal feelings.
It was interesting to hear Martin talk about how he has used his work to break through and find his literary voice. But he notes that balancing mental health and creative pursuits can be very difficult.
Her work delves deep into the human psyche, so it's no surprise that she's shared some invaluable tips and examples on how to achieve that balance, which would be beneficial to writers and creatives trying to break out of a rut.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
Focus on…
5. Goddess of scam
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Gender: Real crimes and business
Scam Goddess, hosted by Laci Mosley, is a podcast dedicated to theft fraud and all those who practice it.
But the intro music, which the host wrote and arranged in Laurel Canyon traffic, is now being featured in a new adaptation of the nonfiction television series in collaboration with ABC News Studios, where Laci will come face to face with the scammers and those who were exploited by them.
In each episode, Laci keeps listeners up to date on current scammers, delves into the latest scams, and discusses historical scams alongside some of her favorite comedians.
This week, Laci and the “congregation” (as Laci calls listeners) join hosts Ceara O’Sullivan and Griff Stark-Ennis of the Petty Crimes podcast. Laci starts the episode as she always does, first asking what their relationship is to scams, and then talking about how they got scammed by dentists and 1960s real estate developer Nat Mendelsohn, whose California City desert utopia turned into a desert nightmare.
Scam Goddess is a clever podcast. It's like true crime, only without the death element, which brings the fun back to a genre that is usually quite morbid.
(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)
