Some big news in British podcasting: The High Low<\/strong><\/a>, a popular British podcast presented by Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes, announced they are wrapping it up this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t an abrupt decision,\u201d<\/em> said Pandora during week\u2019s episode. \u201cWe decided this 18 months ago. We just had in our heads that four years feels like the perfect time to end.\u201d <\/em>The show has received much praise for Dolly and Pandora\u2019s weekly recommendations, as well for their interviews with new or under-read authors (essentially becoming a big book club). Their podcasting departure will certainly leave a bit of a hole in the podcasting world, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way speaking of book clubs, if you know of a little one who is interested in getting into writing, there\u2019s a new podcast out recently called Song Explorers<\/strong><\/a> (from the radio station Fun Kids) where an author talks about their books and gives advice on how to create good stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, as this newsletter is brought to you by the team behind the British Podcast Awards<\/strong>, we thought to let you know that earlier this week the winners from The Australian Podcast Awards<\/strong><\/a> were announced from our friends down under. Celebrating the country\u2019s thriving podcast scene, the prestigious Podcast of the Year award went to Birds Eye View<\/strong><\/a>, which looked at what it is like to be a woman in prison. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The judges said it was \u201craw, insightful, heartbreaking and empathetic.\u201d Head to the Australian Podcast Awards website to listen and for the full list of winners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n INTERESTING GUESTS ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have listened to an interesting guest on a podcast and you think other people should know about it, fill in this form<\/a> and it might get featured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want your podcast featured, or you have a great recommendation, all you need to do is fill in this simple form<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Orgasm Cult <\/strong><\/a>– <\/strong>This informative and shocking new BBC Sounds investigative podcast series, hosted by Nastaran Tavakoli-Far, looks at the company OneTaste. The company taught a practice called orgasmic meditation, which they claimed that would one day be as mainstream as yoga. Yet the company soon was under investigated by the FBI, following claims of sexual trafficking and prositution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst this series looks at the practices of the company, it also asks important questions about the current state of the wellness industry. \u201cThe problem is that so many practices and products and companies are untested and unregulated,\u201d<\/em> says Tavakoli-Far. \u201cYou just don\u2019t know what you\u2019re getting. You don\u2019t know if it is going to work, but more importantly, you don\u2019t know if it is even safe. The wellness industry can attract really vulnerable people and it can put them in potentially dangerous situations.\u201d<\/em> Four episodes are available to listen to now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caught Off Guard<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>Normally when I read that a podcast touts that \u2018no topic off limits,\u2019 I worry that the podcast is going to have no interesting topic of conversation at all; that it will end up having a lack of focus or consistency that makes it a worthwhile listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So this podcast, that promises that very<\/em> thing, was a pleasant surprise, simply because it doesn\u2019t fall into that trip. This podcast presented by YouTube content creator and entrepreneur Patricia Bright, features interviews with those who are excelling in their own career: from finance, to fashion, to fitness and social media. The conversations swing from being very specific, to more general topics on how to carry on through such unsettling times. Bright\u2019s questions are smart and her enthusiasm is infectious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spotify Podcast of the Week: <\/strong>Following the sad news about Diego Maradona passing away, we’ve chosen a recent episode of our Spotify Original football documentary series GIANT<\/strong><\/a> for this week’s podcast pick. The episode tells the story of a magical night when a 26-year-old Maradona turned out for Spurs in London for Ossie Ardiles’ testimonial match – just under 2 months before he scored 2 infamous goals against England during the 1986 World Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What the Midwife Said<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>The months and weeks before having your first child can be full of anxiety, especially at the moment when other expecting mums are harder than usual. So this new podcast, where midwife and author Leah Hazard interviews others about their experiences, might come in use. The series covers numerous topics around fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, with no judgement and no question too silly or ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I enjoyed the episode with the Rev Kate Bottley<\/a>, who talked openly about the stigma surrounding caesarean sections, difficult birth experiences and the value in being kind to ourselves: \u201cThere\u2019s a patriarchal narrative that encourages women to think less of themselves and that we\u2019re never quite good enough.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also an interesting discussion on having faith. \u201cI\u2019m flailing like anybody else,\u201d<\/em> says Bottley. \u201cOften faith throws up more questions than it answers and I don\u2019t know why terrible things happen. I\u2019ve not got a clue. And I\u2019m just as cross and just as upset and lonely and isolated and all those feelings, just the same.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Upcoming interviews include Emma Barnett, Lorraine Kelly and activist Tinuke Awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n