The podcasts about the stories you were never meant to hear are often the most interesting.
1. The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Sports
Lionesses and close friends Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have wanted to start a podcast for a while.
So when they launched their twice-weekly Goalhanger-produced podcast, The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness, it was important for them to create a safe space where they could be authentic.
Staying true to their passion, their podcast takes a deep dive into the heart of women’s football, where the co-hosts bring their unmatched access and analysis to listeners.
Together, they offer a fresh look at the beloved game, covering everything from what happens on the pitch and the decision makers that shape it, through debates every Tuesday, and a Q&A every Thursday.
It’s obvious how genuine and close Bright and Daly’s friendship is. It helps to steer their insightful and thought-provoking conversations that challenge the difficulties that still come with being a woman in sport, including being overlooked in mainstream coverage.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
2. Death County, PA
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: True crime
If you’re looking for a new, investigative style of podcast, Wondery’s Death County, PA may be your next listen.
It looks into the mysterious deaths of dozens of inmates in the Dauphin County Prison (DCP) in Pennsylvania, which as a result, uncovered a web of corruption, abuse and systematic failures.
The spate of fatalities is what initially caught the interest of local PennLive journalist and host Joshua Vaughn, who first started reporting on the suspicious deaths at DCP years ago.
In this podcast series, Vaughn is joined by Harrisburg City councilman Lamont Jones, who spent time in prison and is now fighting corruption from the outside.
In the latest episode, Vaughn shares the story of Lamont’s childhood friend Jamal Crummel, whom he reconnected with in prison. But due to his re-offences, Crummel found himself in and out of DCP.
Vaughn also speaks to Samantha – not her real name – a corrections officer for 20 years at DCP, who got to know Jamal very well.
Death County, PA, intends to expose the truth, and I think it’s worth joining Vaughn and Lamont for the ride.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
3. The Spy Who Dressed The Queen
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: History
The stories you are never meant to hear are often the most interesting.
That’s why Wondery’s The Spy Who explores the invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services, particularly the secret operatives who don’t explicitly follow the rules.
It takes listeners deep inside this shadow world and introduces them to the spies who risked everything for their country, or sometimes, even for themselves.
In the latest season titled The Spy Who Dressed The Queen, host British actress Indira Varma explores the fascinating story of British fashion designer Hardy Amies.
In 1941, Amies joined the wartime effort and led the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an espionage unit operating behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Amies was multifaceted and chose not to remain faithful to one career, and garnered global fame as a renowned fashion designer who dressed Queen Elizabeth II.
Taking on a clever, captivating and in-depth narrative approach, Varma uncovers the role Amies played in Operation Ratweek, which was designed to eliminate German intelligence agents operating in Belgium in 1944.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
4. Salon Confidential With Andreas Wild
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Beauty, culture and life
Andreas Wild has been a celebrity hairstylist for 27 years, and during this time, he has been very lucky to be involved in London and Paris Fashion Week.
He has styled the hair of some of our favourite celebrities, top models and incredible clients, and for his podcast Salon Confidential he brings some of them back into the chair.
And the latest person to sit in Wild’s chair is British chef, restaurateur, and social media sensation, Thomas Straker. He is known for his passion for simple, high-quality ingredients, bold flavours and his butter recipes which went viral.
The pair speak about how they first met, how Straker’s style has evolved over time, why he decided to open his restaurant, Straker’s, in London’s Notting Hill, his career as a chef, being an entrepreneur and launching his other businesses, including All Things Butter, and why his empire is expanding.
It’s interesting to hear Straker talk about why it’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses, especially when running a business. He also speaks about finding the balance when life starts to pull you in many different directions, such as fatherhood.
Salon Confidential is a fun and relaxed podcast where guests can just be themselves – no judgment involved.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
Spotlight on…
5. Secret Mum Club
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms and YouTube
Genre: Family
Secret Mum Club, produced by Audio Always, is an anonymous space for mums to share their secrets.
Before hosts Sophiena and Emma share more about what they’ve got up to this week, they share more details about their upcoming live show on Saturday, July 5, at Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield.
In this episode, Sophiena reflects on the terrible accident she was involved in at the start of the Easter half-term holidays – a head-on collision with another driver.
The car has been written off (her family are safe and sound) but the ordeal has given Sophiena “a bit of an impromptu slow down”. Most of the activities she’s been doing with her children this week have been “cost-minimal”, which included a lot of walking.
The pair, who often break out into song, also speak about how quickly their children are growing and hear from listeners during a segment called ‘Correspondence Corner’.
One listener shares a dilemma regarding her daughter, who has a sensory eating disorder, and the duo shares some great advice from their own experiences.
Join the Secret Mum Club if you’re a mum who has got something to get off your chest.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
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