The Eurovision Song Contest is next Saturday the 14th May! I know that some of you were thinking ‘blahblahblah who cares we should withdraw from it’ but to those who did not think that and are looking forward to the contest along with me … thank you ❤️

The Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast, presented by ex-Radio One Newsbeat presenter Steve Holden, is your behind-the-scenes guide to the contest. Recent episodes have featured loads of interviews with some of the 40 countries participating this year, plus hints of how the broadcast (which was watched by 182 million people in 2021) will look and feel. There are new episodes out pretty much every other day, making it a good listen for the week ahead.

Even though last year the United Kingdom walked away with “nil points,” there are high hopes for our entry, Sam Ryder’s “Spaceman,” this year. No, really. I know that every year we all like to say that there are high hopes with our entry when actually it is quite bad,, but this year we really could do quite well. The Celebrating Eurovision podcast series features an interview with Ryder, plus excerpts and analysis of some of the other big contenders to look out for this year (trust me, I was surprised that Latvia’s song has not been banned by the organisers).

It has been 25 years since the United Kingdom last won Eurovision with Katrina and the Waves’ “Love Shine A Light,” so The Euro Trip has released a special episode about all the things that have gone wrong with our entries since 1997, featuring an interview with Katrina herself. There are other podcasts focusing on competition each year at a granular level, including ESC Insight and Wiwibloggs and (both of which also have episodes out pretty much daily.)

NOTABLE NAMES ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK

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  • The founder of BorrowMyDoggy, CEO Rikki Rosenlund, is on the Secret Leaders podcast this week. The podcast explores what it takes to be an entrepreneur and the lessons they have learnt along the way.
  • Wim Hof, the Dutch extreme athlete who once climbed Mount Everest in only his underwear (and is the star of the BBC One TV series “Freeze the Fear’) is the first guest on Transforming, a podcast about the changes that we can make in our own life. They talk about how cold exposure and using your mind can help both body and mind.
  • On The Breakdown with Orla Chennaoui and Greg Rutherford, a new Eurosport podcast that looks at mental health in competitive elite sport, their first guest is the cyclist Mark Cavendish.
  • Rose Ayling-Ellis was on Changes with Annie Macmanus this week, talking about her incredible year.

Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead

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Kermode & Mayo’s TakeIt has only been a month between Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo finishing their BBC Radio 5 Live podcast and continuing their podcast with Sony Music, but to fans it has felt a lifetime. Last Thursday finally saw the launch of Kermode & Mayo’s Take, a weekly podcast of continuing their regular mix of reviews (and rants) of the latest movie releases, A list interviews and lots and lots of correspondence with their regular listeners. And with a lot of money and creativity swirling around streaming services, there will also be reviews of some of the biggest television releases, although cinema will always be the primary focus.

As well as the weekly free podcast to listen to, Kermode & Mayo are also releasing a second podcast each week. Called Take 2, it will feature recommendations of film and television gems and more of an excuse to hear them discuss things at length. This part of the podcast will be behind a paywall.

Lady Killers with Lucy WorsleyIn each episode of this new BBC Sounds podcast the historian Lucy Worsley retells the story of a famous (or should I say, infamous) 19th century murderess. She’s joined by a crack all female team of crime writers, forensic psychiatrists and barristers, to provide a 21st century feminist take on the reasons why they might have carried out what they have done, and explores how the case may have been handled if it had taken place today.

What is so enjoyable about this series is not just the level of detail, but also how it places these murders all within context of how society treated women at a time. The podcast also avoids the podcast trappings of obsessing over gruesome details.

Hypothetical The Podcast with Josh Widdicombe and James AcasterFor ages now we have seen podcasts turn into television shows, so why not have a television show turn into a podcast? The comedy panel show Hypothetical has now been turned into a podcast series. On the TV show Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster ask comedians to explain their way through a hypothetical situation, but on the podcast the tables have turned as the guests get to put Josh and James on the spot. Josh and James love leaning into the weird and expect very much the same here.

Crushed by Margaret Cabourn-Smith A new podcast with a great idea, where the actor and writer chats about their doomed or unrequited crushes with another well-known name. What is so good about this series is the fact that they delve into what their crushes say about them and it also prompts you to think about all the doomed crushes you have had over the years (of which, coming to think about it, I have a lot).
Just a note to say once again thank you for all of the podcast suggestions we get each and every week. We listen to every single one, and without them we wouldn’t have a newsletter at all. Please keep sending them to us, simply by filling in this simple form.

Categories: Weekly Picks