7 Pros Choose Their Favourite Podcast
Chris Hawkins
podcast host
“I love The Two Shot Podcast with Craig Parkinson. It’s about creative people and their lives – and what makes them tick. Craig is naturally inquisitive. He’s a great listener and, because he’s so interested in his guests, each episode is always informed and a relaxed listen. It’s like listening to two mates in a pub. He also adds just the right amount of himself to each episode which is important; if you’re interviewing someone you should focus on their stories, not your own. I also really like a longer listen. It gives you time to feel like you’ve got to know someone. One of the best episodes was actor Martin Compston. They talk about their time together on Line of Duty and how they got through the rigorous auditions.”
Tom Jetts
podcast exec
“I have to listen to dozens of podcasts each week for work, but one that has really stayed with me is We Were Always Here. This docuseries came out a couple of years ago to mark 40 years since the first cases of HIV were identified. It brings together unheard voices and the untold stories of those who were most affected but are often missing from the mainstream narratives – including the experiences of women, Black people and sex workers. It’s quite a harrowing listen but it gives marginalised people a voice about a time when there was so much scaremongering in the media and stigma was rife against LGBTQ+ people. The episode ‘Human Rights and Wrongs’ is brilliant. While huge celebs like Magic Johnson and Freddie Mercury bravely spoke about their diagnosis, thousands of others were suffering in silence, afraid how their families and communities would react.”
Alex Greenan
The Podcast Guys
“My favourite podcast right now is Little Big Vets which explores and celebrates the stories of veterans who have created a whole new career post-service, often helping other veterans along the way. Before I started listening, I had no idea how tight knit this community can be. It’s also great to see these kinds of positive, optimistic and inspirational stories shared alongside some of the more negative challenges of life post-service, which we hear fairly regularly in the news. Podcasts are ‘the relationship medium’ so the most important thing to me as a listener is the relationship between the host and the guest. With a presenter who is also a veteran entrepreneur, the show has an open and informal tone – the key ingredient for interview storytelling. Ben Legg, a guest in this first season of the podcast, was a fascinating listen. The perspective of someone who has seen and experienced the upper levels of strategy and decision making both within the Army and huge corporations such as Coca-Cola and Google is about as rare as professional perspectives come. I learned an awful lot.”
Jonathan Andrew
podcast host
“We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to great podcasts these days but my favourite is How I Built This with Guy Raz. It offers fascinating insight into the world’s biggest and most innovative businesses, how they were created, and the work that goes into making it a success. I love the style of the show: it’s presented like a story and you listen along as the guests take you through their journey. We’ve all had an idea we think could be the next big thing, and this show includes everyday people who have made it happen. It’s so inspiring to hear these stories direct from the people that built it.”
Paris Nicholson
podcast host
“Right now, I’m hooked on Las Culturistas. Hosts Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang are the blueprint for other podcasters. I’m a huge fan of those two and it’s been amazing to see them grow and develop as queer people over the years. Everything they achieve is paving new career paths for myself and countless others. Their natural chemistry and love for each another makes listening feel like you’re hanging out with friends – and that’s the best compliment a podcast can receive. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re some of the funniest people alive. My favourite episode is ‘The Las Culturistas Culture Awards Nominees Are…’ in which Matt and Bowen talk about their top 100 winners of 2023 so far, from The Last of Us’s Pedro Pascal to Jeff Goldblum.”
Jonathan Hirsch
CEO of Neon Hum Media
“My favourite podcast is Bone Valley. This true-crime series strikes a magic balance we all hunger for in limited-run podcasts: we’re taken on a journey with the host, and the outcome of that host’s journey makes a real impact on the world around us. Host Gilbert King uncovers evidence from the murder of 18-year-old Michelle Schofield, who was found dead in a phosphate pit in Florida in 1987. Two years later, her husband Leo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Fifteen years after that, previously unidentified fingerprints matched Jeremy Scott – a violent teenager who lived nearby. You really have to listen to the whole thing and immerse yourself in this unbelievable story.”
Michael Judson Berry
podcast host
“A classic in the podcast world these days, I listen to No Such Thing As A Fish every week. It’s a solid mix of comedy and fun factoids – in each episode the hosts research four random facts they discovered that week, and I love hearing the things they’ve learned, as well as the hilarious stories the discussions produce. It’s educational – great on the commute – and I love soaking up random knowledge from a wide variety of subjects, from deckchair wrestling to Genghis Khan. The show always makes me smile – need any more reason to listen? You don’t need to revisit every episode, but I would recommend going back to the live recorded episodes for hilarious audience reactions.”
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