WELLBEING

PICK OF THE PODS LISTEN UP! GIVE YOUR EARS A GOOD WORKOUT WITH THESE AUDIO TREATS

Words HAZEL DAVIS

t fi rst podcasts seemed like a HAPPY PLACE and fi nding the everyday this podcast may strike a vague, rather strange prospect. Need to dig out some inner beauty in life. It’s worth a chord. If you’re struggling to So they’re radio shows but not joy? Find it in this lovely listen alone for the Stephen see how you’ll ever get out on the radio and with no music? podcast from broadcaster Fry and Paloma Faith of that black spot, journalist AAre they lectures, comedies, audiobooks? Fearne Cotton, who’s episodes, and for Cotton’s Elizabeth Day’s How to Once you accept that all this is true – often faced her own mental easy and open manner. Fail podcast is for you. in a single package – a great podcast is a wellbeing challenges in Each week she celebrates revelation, free, and perfect for those times the past and been candid HOW TO FAIL the things that haven’t you want to escape from the world. about her experiences with Current mood of the gone right, with a range of It’s estimated that there are more than anxiety and depression. nation? Refl ective. successful guests, often 800,000 podcasts out there, with topics Her themes revolve Wondering how we can with surprising hurdles. as diverse as ghost-hunting, cleaning and around searingly honest all live our lives in a more You’ll come away feeling mental health. We’ve whittled them down conversations about mental meaningful way when this buoyed and heartened. to 10 WI-friendly barnstormers for you. health, family, friendship national crisis is over? Then We’ll get through this. WI LIFE MAY & JUNE 2020 41 WELLBEING

SUE PERKINS: AN HOUR with his dog, Rosie. Highlights OR SO WITH… include an episode where he and Who doesn’t already love Theroux giggle helplessly through Sue Perkins, she of Bake O , Yes Sir, I Can Boogie. An utter joy. comedy and travel TV fame? A consummate host, she’s the HEAVYWEIGHT perfect person to get to the JESSIE WARE Former producer of the cult heart of her hand-picked guests’ Singer Jessie Ware nabbed all This American Life radio show, inner lives. The hour she spends the best ideas when she decided producer Jonathan Goldstein taps with comedian Stewart Lee is to do a podcast with her mum into our long-standing regrets an absolute joy and her ability Lennie – from her dinner table. in this podcast. Each episode to get down to the big talk with Guests have included Sadiq Khan, contains unfi nished business, warmth and wit is worth a listen. David Schwimmer and Nigella resolved by hook or by crook Lawson, and they’re all subjected by his inimitable doggedness. to a three-course meal cooked Childhood disputes, confusing by the duo (neither is a trained fallouts, abandoned children… it’s chef). The appeal is the authentic an insight into human nature that plenty of time to get mother-daughter banter, which is never ends as you expect. Listen ‘A great through them all – the sometimes fractious and at other to the extraordinary episode podcast is a focus on the Southeast times utterly hysterical. about Elyse, whose father is a bit jarring, but disappeared without trace, or the revelation’ nonetheless it’s a literature- REX FACTOR one where Goldstein’s pal Gregor lover’s treat and perfect to chat This podcast is nothing but two faces his feud with popstar Moby. about at your next book club. nerds – Graham Duke and It’s addictive, life-a rming stu . Ali Hood – chatting through the THE CURIOUS CASE OF entire history of the kings and WE ARE HISTORY STANDARD ISSUE RUTHERFORD AND FRY queens of England and Scotland Angela Barnes is a regular and The Standard Issue podcast rose Ever wondered why we get more and giving them a rating based sometime presenter on BBC from the ashes of the now-closed colds in winter, how love a ects on ‘battleyness’: how good they Radio 4’s The News Quiz, as well online magazine of the same our brain or why we enjoy being were in battle and warfare; as a guest on TV panel shows. name. Nominally fronted by scared? If you have a question scandal (notoriety and tendency Her passion is history, which she comedian Sarah Millican, it’s about it, geneticist Dr Adam to naughtiness); subjectivity channels in this cheerful podcast presented by Mickey Noonan, Rutherford and mathematician (how well and justly they ruled); with co-host John O’Farrell. The Hannah Dunleavy and Jen O ord Dr Hannah Fry will have an longevity (how long they ruled pair swerve the obvious and head with a team of contributors, and answer. Their gentle camaraderie for), and dynasty (how many straight in with lesser-discussed covers everything you might is captivating and their responses legitimate, surviving children topics, such as Christine Keeler, expect BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s are thought-provoking and often they had). If you expect to be East German nudism, and spy Hour to cover, but with more hilarious. Plus, Dr Fry’s voice is thrilled you’ll be disappointed pigeons. There are no massive swearing. One of the very best like having treacle poured directly but it makes for sweet, curiously laughs but the pair are so things about this podcast is into your ears. In a good way. compulsive listening – a history engaging and likeable that it’s that, much like its magazine lesson in the vein of Lucy Worsley a pleasure to listen to them. predecessor, it features all ages GRIEFCAST and Mary Beard. Listen out for Ali and all manner of women. A podcast where people talk Hood’s understatements: ‘Gosh, about those who’ve died doesn’t what a rotter’, and ‘Oh goodness Podcast virgin? YOU’RE BOOKED sound uplifting, but this gem, me! Henry!’ Emerge much better ■ You can listen to most Imagine if you could have a snoop hosted by comedian and actor educated and gently entertained. podcasts on a web browser around your favourite author’s Cariad Lloyd, is one of the most so if you don’t have a portable shelves? Daisy Buchanan has heartwarming things you can ADAM BUXTON device, just fi nd one you like the best job in the world and listen to. Guests range from The granddaddy of podcasters, on the website and it may well have an in-built player. we can’t believe her audacity. David Baddiel and Mike McShane comedian and writer Adam ■ Spotify carries a few of the She rocks up at people like Nina to Anneka Rice and Katy Wix, all Buxton, leads the way – thought- main podcasts. Download the Stibbe’s and Isabel Allende’s talking about how they’ve dealt provoking, charming and just app or listen on your browser. the right side of subversive. His doorsteps and roots through (or not) with various stages of ■ If you have an iPad, iPod or their literary hoards, delivering bereavement. Lloyd, who lost guests range from recurring iPhone, use the Apple Podcasts the results in her dulcet tones her father as a teen, is a warm, appearances of his mates: from app. On an Android phone, and asking pertinent questions funny and comforting host and fi lm director Garth Jennings, Joe download the Google Podcasts about reading habits and life- the experience is like a big hug, Cornish and Louis Theroux, to app. Subscribe to ones you like changing books. However, you’ll whether you’re currently grieving comedian Sara Pascoe and data and new episodes will then be need a notebook handy to write or not. And which of us couldn’t journalist Mona Chalabi. They are downloaded to you.

down the recommendations and do with a hug at the moment? all introduced via a gentle ramble iSTOCK Photographs

42 WI LIFE MAY & JUNE 2020