There are so many fascinating episodes in our podcast picks this week.
1. Young Again with Kirsty Young
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Life
Radio 4’s Young Again with Kirsty Young is the podcast that asks guests what advice they would give their younger self, and this week it’s writer and podcaster, Malcolm Gladwell, whose work is known for captivating human behaviour and simplifying complex narratives.
Before getting into the heart of the conversation, Gladwell talks about his podcast, Revisionist History, which reconsiders things both overlooked and misunderstood . He then goes on to identify a series of moments in his life where a different decision would have made a huge difference, including turning down a job offer in 1993, to be the German correspondent at The Washington Post, opting to be the New York correspondent instead.
Even though Gladwell is still unsure why he made that decision, he admits regretting it for a while, and visited Berlin for 15 consecutive years as a way of mourning.
They later talk about his family tree and heritage, which includes West Indian, Irish, Jewish and English, and why his father’s definition of a Gladwell, was “someone who went their own way”, what his first adversity was and how he dealt with it, and shares his joy at becoming a parent later in life.
I enjoyed listening to Gladwell’s fascinating stories and perspectives on the ebbs and flows of life.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
2. The Good Whale
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Animals
The Good Whale covers the story of Keiko, a captive orca who was eventually released into the wild after several attempts were made to train him to be able to survive on his own.
Hosted by Daniel Alarcón with The New York Times and Serial Productions, this six-episode podcast is unexpectedly emotional.
Including interviews with trainers and the scientists who looked after him, listeners gain a real insight into the reasoning behind Keiko’s release and whether it was the right choice, as he was so young when initially captured.
Keiko became famous after starring in the 1993 classic, Free Willy, a film about a boy who helps a whale escape captivity and reunite with his pod. This plot mirrored Keiko’s own life and unintentionally sparked a campaign to set him free.
Keiko became the symbol for all whales and how we treat animals in the oceans. You do not need to be a marine scientist to appreciate and understand this compelling story.
(By Amelia Braddick)
3. Legacy Talk
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Entertainment, arts and life
Lena Waithe’s new podcast Legacy Talk, in partnership with Lemonada Media, already lives up to its name.
In the inaugural episode with Emmy Award-winning American actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph, Waithe has an honest conversation about the ups and downs of her four-decade career in Hollywood, including Dreamgirls and how the AIDS crisis impacted her time on Broadway, writing her one-woman show Sometimes I Cry, when work started to dry up, colourism, motherhood on and off the screen, and so much more.
But what I enjoyed the most about the beautiful conversation was how generous Ralph was with her anecdotes and wisdom about choosing yourself when no one else does, and using your voice, particularly when she said: “Sometimes people look at you and think that’s all you are, instead of letting you show what you can do.”
Legacy Talk is so much more than just a series of interviews, it is a celebration of the stories and voices of some of the most renowned Black leaders in entertainment – it is real, unfiltered conversations about their journeys, challenges, and the legacies they have built. A true love letter to Black women.
I’m excited to listen to upcoming episodes with trailblazers, including Jenifer Lewis and Debbie Allen.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
4. Make Me A Mixtape
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms and YouTube
Genre: Music
Emotions were high at the end of series one of Make Me A Mixtape, but presenters Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens are back for more fiery competition, hilarious chat, and heaps of music passion, where even more is at stake – whoever has the winning mixtape of each episode will have their mixtape played in full at the end.
To get the ball rolling, the dynamic duo – also longtime friends – are joined by satirist Munya Chawawa, who came prepared and brought songs to create his own mixtape.
Meanwhile, the premise of the show is that each week the theme is set by a celebrity guest and Amfo and Stephens must battle it out to curate the perfect playlist for the given mood, event or occasion.
Amfo and Stephens tap into new music loves, guilty pleasures and long-forgotten gems in the hope of coming out on top. In the quest for perfection, there is friendly competition, song ‘steals’, incredible celebrity drop-ins and lots of fun chat along the way.
From talking about Chawawa’s new Channel 4 documentary How to Survive a Dictator: North Korea, to discussing some incredible classics I’ve forgotten about, the first episode of series 2 was a fun masterclass on modern music history.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
Spotlight on…
5. The Buckleys
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Relationships and life
Inbetweeners star James Buckley and his wife Clair are back with another new podcast – The Buckleys. The duo, who’ve been married 12 years, are no strangers to working together, with a successful YouTube series under their belts (At Home With The Buckleys) and previous podcast In Sickness And In Health, where they got stuck into the nitty-gritty of married life, earning them millions of followers across their social media platforms in the process.
True to brand, The Buckleys is set to bring another round of laughs and light relief to listeners, as the couple chat through anything and everything that’s cropped up in their lives lately – with plenty of good old-fashioned moaning for good measure! Kicking things off, James vents about budget airlines and social media trends that make no sense, while Clair probes his dislike of adrenalin activities and ribs him for watching said social media trends in the first place! Easy banter with a side-serving of whinging; what’s not to love?
(By Abi Jackson)
