The best new podcasts: 2020
Spring 2020 has delivered a bumper crop of new podcasts. From a shocking true-crime series to Louis Theroux’s new audio project, here’s what to listen to in lockdown
Grounded with Louis Theroux
In his new weekly podcast Grounded, Louis Theroux speaks to high-profile figures he’s been longing to talk to. The first episode, which aired on 27 March, saw Theroux sit down (virtually) with his ‘professional doppelgänger’ Jon Ronson, discussing everything from their careers to the family spats they’ve had in lockdown. This inaugural episode sets the precedent for the series, which will see Theroux digging deep into the psyches of some of the world’s most famous faces – now they’ve got more time on their hands.
For fans of… The Adam Buxton Podcast
The Wingwoman
Journalists and best friends Charlie Gowans-Eglinton and Frankie Graddon – who between them have notched up numerous bylines with The Telegraph, The Times, The Pool, The Debrief, Grazia and Elle – have joined forces to launch a new weekly podcast: The Wingwoman. Pitched as ‘a frank discussion of life as a 30-something’, the podcast is a chance to hear Charlie and Frankie share their thoughts on everything from the latest isolation trends to the dilemmas of dating in lockdown and the books we should all be reading – all over a bottle of wine.
If you like what you hear, you can also sign up to The Wingwoman newsletter which lands in your inbox every Sunday morning, offering two points of view on a hot topic of the week.
For fans of… The High Low and Nobody Panic
Slay in Your Lane: The Podcast
When Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené’s book Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible hit the shelves in 2018, it was met with widespread acclaim – praised for being a ‘pioneering guide to life for young Black British women’. Now, the multi-award-winning authors have followed the book up with a ‘long-overdue’ podcast, covering topical issues and popular culture while continuing to drive the conversation around the experiences of Black British women. The fortnightly podcast also expands upon the key themes addressed in the book, offering timely advice on navigating the workplace, finances, education, health, relationships and dating.
For fans of… Slay in Your Lane (the book)
My Time Capsule
Actor Michael Fenton Stevens’ new weekly podcast My Time Capsule sees him interview a different famous guest each week, asking them which five items they’d like to put in a time capsule – four of which they want to preserve and one they want to lock away and never think about again. Unlike your regular time capsule, this one accepts memories and entire countries as well as physical keepsakes. Guests so far have included Stephen Fry, Rebecca Front and Miles Jupp.
For fans of… Desert Island Discs
The Immaculate Deception
Dishing up the latest offering in true crime is journalist Jenny Kleeman, who together with production company Somethin' Else, dives deep into the world of corrupt Dutch fertility doctor Jan Karbaat. The women who visited Dr Karbaat at his Rotterdam clinic often left with their wish of being pregnant, but how the doctor achieved his impressive success rate remained shrouded in mystery. That is, until the children conceived at the clinic – the Karbaat Kids – began questioning what happened to their mothers.
For fans of… The Shrink Next Door
Katherine Ryan: Telling Everybody Everything
The success of Katherine Ryan’s new podcast speaks for itself: within a week of its release, it had gone straight to the top of the iTunes comedy podcast chart. Launched by the comedian from the confines of lockdown, the podcast is a candid chat about anything and everything. Each week, a new topic is discussed, so far ranging from pregnancy loss to romance in lockdown and the viral Netflix documentary Tiger King.
For fans of… The Guilty Feminist
Nothing Concrete
The Barbican’s new Nothing Concrete podcast offers weekly discussions on music, cinema, visual art, theatre, architecture and everything in between. Joining presenter and journalist Chris Gunness for a four-part mini series is writer, actor, comedian and campaigner Stephen Fry. Together, the pair explore music, isolation, mental health and the healing power of art – using composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s revelatory Heiligenstadt Testament as a springboard. Episodes will air each Wednesday in May and are part of the Barbican’s wider Inside Out season.
For fans of… Meet Me at the Museum