Let’s start with podcasts that look at a big issue that affects all of us: housing.
The new podcast Dwelling looks at how the housing crisis is affecting the way we all live and what possible solutions there can be, from living on waterways to reclaiming abandoned buildings. As the show’s host Marnie Woodmeade points out, there are 90,000 houses that could be opened up to people who desperately need them, but currently lie empty.
Meanwhile, in the Working Hard, Hardly Working podcast, Grace Beverly speaks to Kwajo Tweneboa, a 23 year old campaigner who has been drawing attention to the shocking standards of some of the UK’s social housing. He’s been naming and shaming housing associations that have been ignoring resident complaints, building up a considerable social media following in the process.
NOTABLE NAMES ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK
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- Margaret Atwood is on How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
- Ian Hislop, the editor of Private Eye is on a special edition of The Problem with Jon Stewart podcast looking at satire in the age of Trump and Brexit. Stewart interviews Hislop inside the Private Eye offices.
- Alan Carr’s ‘Life’s A Beach’ has returned for a new series, inviting guests to talk about their favourite holidays. Guests so far have included Jake Shears and Frankie Bridge.
- Vogue Williams is on Big Fish with Spencer Matthews this week.
- The Media Podcast with Matt Deegan looks at Spotify’s makeover and the Gary Lineker BBC impartiality story, with Karin Robinson, Pat Younge and Maxine Watson.
- Carole Vorderman is on Full Disclosure with James O’Brien.
Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead
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The Moomin Phenomenon – A new five part series, hosted by Jennifer Saunders (and introduced by Lily Collins), looking into the overwhelming success and the appeal of the Scandinavian series The Moomins. It features interviews with fans, collectors and experts.
“There is something so captivating about the illustrations,” says Collins in the introductory episode. “They are unforgettable, both familiar and strange at the same time. They trigger the imagination and have stayed with me for years.”
How To Buy A Football Club – In a week where the Glazer family may relinquish control of Manchester United, the BBC has launched a new podcast looking at the relationship between the sport and money. It also looks at who owns British cultural institutions and the reasons why they do so.
There are several episodes out already, one of which looks at the Glazers themselves. Their hesitancy with media interviews has meant that working out their future plans can be difficult to predict. Then there’s the fact that, according to guest Chris Blackhurst, they treat the place like a cash machine: “They are the only owners to take a dividend.”
Help I Sexted My Boss – This advice podcast hosted by Radio 1’s Jordan North and etiquette expert William Hanson has been out for a fair while now, but has been consistently at the top of the podcasting charts because of the hilarious contributions sent in from listeners.
And as each episode is also filmed, moments from the show frequently go viral on TikTok. It’s a proper achievement.
Mel’s Electric Adventure – A new podcast looking at the rise of electric vehicles and the opportunities and challenges they provide.
All in all it is a breezy and entertaining affair, as you would, considering that one of the podcast’s hosts is Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc. In each episode Mel and a journalist Giles Whittell take an electric car out for a spin and share their honest opinions.
Thank you as always for reading (and listening).
We’ll be back next Sunday with another podcast newsletter.
