Pod Bible Issue #030 - Cuddle Club

#030 // DEC 2023 FREE

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PODCASTS FEATURING LOU SANDERS FROM CUDDLE CLUB, SUZI RUFFELL, JOSIE LONG AND A VARIETY OF PODCAST REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS!

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POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

WELCOME TO THE NEW ISSUE!

IN THIS ISSUE EDITOR'S NOTE THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO //

Lou Sanders.........................................................02

WHAT'S A PODCAST? //

A quick rundown for the uninitiated.............05

THE NEW TESTAMENT //

Recent episode recommendations..............06

THE HOLY GRAIL //

An Audible Original Podcast round-up.........08

PODCAST DISCIPLE //

Suzi Ruffell on her love for pods.................10

AUDDY SPOTLIGHT //

Shows worth knowing about............................13

BREAKING BREAD //

A regular column from Stak............................14

THE SCRIPTURES //

Podcasts that always deliver...........................18

TALKSPORT FAN NETWORK //

Welcome to Issue #030 and the final Pod Bible magazine of 2023! What a year it's been for us and for the podcast industry as a whole.

Another year of growth and more shows than ever to add to your subscription lists. But how do you pick what to listen to? Well hopefully we've helped make that decision easier over the past 12 months!

For this issue we're joined by Lou Sanders to talk about her show Cuddle Club and podcasting in general. We've also got a chat with Suzi Ruffell as well as Josie Long picking her top 5 podcasts!

You'll also find regular columns from Audible, Stak, Auddy and talkSport plus a brand new batch of recommended shows and episodes for you to check out.

EFL League One Football Podcasts........20

FOR THE LOVE OF POD //

Josie Long's top 5 podcasts........................23

THE OLD TESTAMENT //

Classic podcast recommendations..............24

THE GOOD SAMARITAN //

Podcasts with a social conscience...............26

OH.MY.POD //

Independent podcasts.....................................28

@podbible PODBIBLEMAG.COM EDITORS // Adam Richardson & Stu Whiffen adam@podbiblemag.com // @mynameisad stuart@podbiblemag.com // @stuwhiffen

COVER ART // Dan Evans idrawforfood.co.uk / @dan_draws

WRITERS //

As always please feel free to get in touch if you have a podcast you'd love to shout about or to find out how to advertise with us.

In the meantime we hope you have a wonderful holiday period and look forward to all that's to come for Pod Bible in 2024!

Tom Nicholson, Adam Richardson, Francesca Turauskis, Jason Reed, Jack Barnett & Katie Stokes

info@podbiblemag.com // @podbible

THANK YOU //

ADAM RICHARDSON // STU WHIFFEN

Amy Evans, Kirsty Poole, James Rowe, Tam McGregor, Lily Morris & Alexandra Richardson

@mynameisad // adam@podbiblemag.com @stuwhiffen // stuart@podbiblemag.com

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO... LOU SANDERS //

“WITH PODCASTS YOU TALK MORE CANDIDLY AND DON’T HAVE TO BRUSH YOUR HAIR.” A PODCAST ABOUT CUDDLING? SIGN US UP! BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT. WE CAUGHT UP WITH LOU SANDERS TO DISCUSS CUDDLE CLUB, A POD THAT GOES WAY DEEPER THAN YOU FIRST EXPECT AND WILL HAVE YOU LAUGHING SO MUCH YOU'LL NEED A CUDDLE TO CALM DOWN. PB: TELL US ABOUT TOUR SHOW! WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PODCAST ELEVATOR PITCH? LS: Woman asks nosy questions to comedians and strangers. No, it’s really a way into relationships. I’m fascinated by what makes people who they are. Was your mum an asshole? Do you have commitment issues? And what gives you a drive? It’s that kind of thing, but funnier.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE PODCAST MEDIUM THAT INITIALLY APPEALED TO YOU? You don’t have to wait get it commissioned.

Low effort – me, the mic, a guest and THE TRUTH. But actually I like all the mediums, it’s nice to do different things on each one.

With podcasts you talk more candidly and don’t have to brush your hair.

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W E R E YO U I N S P I R E D O R INFLUENCED BY ANY EXISTING PODCASTS OR PODCASTERS AT THE TIME? God no. Podcasters are scum bags. No, I love the podcasts that are nothing like mine. I think Esther Perel’s Where Should We Begin is incredible and should be on the school curriculum.

AFTER OVER 130 EPISODES, WHAT TOP TIP WOULD YOU GIVE TO AN ASPIRING PODCAST HOST? Lou Sanders (QI, Would I Lie To You?, Taskmaster) asks a special guest the hard hitting questions that other non-cuddle based podcasts don’t dare to.

POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

Photo credit: Paul Gilbey

Just do it. And know that you will get better the more you do. Try and find a niche if you can but not as niche and tongue-in-cheek as cuddling. That was a mistake. But you don’t know if you will like something unless you do it. And podcasts are quite cheap to get started on. I would say you need to learn a bit about marketing. And then let me know what you’ve found.

else. It’s nice to have a jump off point but a lot of the time you don’t need it. Having said that it does suit some people and some audiences like the familiarity of a structure week-in week-out. I guess you gotta hang your hat somewhere – is that a phrase? I don’t think that’s a relevant phrase.

WITH THAT IN MIND, WHICH OF YOUR GUESTS HAVE SURPRISED AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED YOU MOST? ABOUT CUDDLING IN THAT TIME? Sindhu Vee, with an answer to one question, Not as much as you think but I’ve learnt a lot after which, we didn’t need anything else. It about people; we’re all basically the same, was phenomenal, I think she surprised herself running around with wounds, all trying to be by detailing her childhood and recounting happy. And you cannot make your cats cuddle things she’d not really unpicked before. It you, but that’s not podcast based. That’s pure was like a film; so many twists and turns. I was life experience I’m passing on there. weeping, of course.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE FORMAT FINALLY, WHICH PODCASTS ARE OF YOUR SHOW? DO YOU FIND YOU ENJOYING AT THE MOMENT? IT HELPS OPEN UP ROUTES TO My Therapist Ghosted Me and Secret Artists EXPLORING DEEPER TOPICS? with Annie McGrath!

I don’t think it’s important at all, sometimes I louliesanders think you have to be open to go somewhere // 03

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WHAT’S A PODCAST?!

A QUICK RUN DOWN ON WHAT A PODCAST ACTUALLY IS AND HOW YOU CAN START LISTENING! A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading or streaming to a computer or an alternative device such as a phone. To be a little less clinical, it’s essentially a radio show that you can listen to wherever and whenever you choose without being interrupted by regular weather bulletins or travel updates.

access to extra content for a small fee but 99% of podcasts are available for you to listen to on demand for nothing at all.

There are literally millions of hours of top quality content out there for you to explore so what's stopping you?!

SO HOW DO I LISTEN? If you're an iPhone user then the Apple Podcasts app should already be on your phone. The same applies for the Google Podcasts app on Android phones. Within these apps you can search for and follow shows so that the latest episodes will be downloaded to your phone without you having to seek them out.

Right now there are over 2.4 million different podcasts with over 66 million episodes in 100 different languages available to listen to. These range from highly produced shows recorded in professional studios by major broadcasters to rough and ready homemade shows recorded on a laptop in someone’s bedroom. If you have a phone or a computer and an internet connection, you can make a podcast, making it one of the most democratic mediums around. Is it time to see what all the fuss is about?

HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? Nothing! They’re absolutely free which makes them one of the most accessible forms of entertainment around. Many of the larger podcasts will feature adverts and some offer 05 //

If you have a Spotify account you can use it to listen to the majority of podcasts, including shows that are exclusive to the platform. The Audible app can be used to listen to Audible original podcasts. There are a number of other podcast apps available to download such as our personal recommendation, Pocket Casts.

If you're on a desktop computer then you can use the Spotify desktop application (which is also available in your browser) the Acast website or the Audible Cloud Player.

Alternatively you can use iTunes or go direct to the website of the podcast you want to listen to.

Finally, you can use your home smart speakers as a way to listen too. Just ask them to play you a podcast and go from there!

THE NEW TESTAMENT //

RECENT EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS DEATH OF A CODEBREAKER

EPISODE 1 // THE CURSED GENIUS // NOV 2023

TRUE CRIME 28m

Occasionally, the world of spycraft heaves up a mystery which feels like it’s been shaken loose from the pages of a particularly lurid spy novel.

The death of Gareth Williams in 2010 was exactly that: he was found in the bath in his flat in Pimlico, his body inside a red kitbag which had been locked from the outside. The keys were in the bag. There didn’t seem to be any sign of another person in the flat. What happened to this precocious young man? Dr Sian Williams investigates.

ANTHEMS

SOCIETY & CULTURE 34m JUNO DAWSON X NICOLA DINAN | RESPONSIBILITY // NOV 2023 The latest iteration of Broccoli’s iconic show returned with a short injection of five episodes for Trans Awareness Week. The monologues have become duologues this time, and we get to hear the affinity between activists, trailblazers and creatives. This episode pairs writers Juno Dawson and Nicola Dinan as they talk about the importance of approaching writing with authenticity. The title references the responsibility that writers - both cis and trans - have to serve their characters and audience.

HAVE YOU HEARD GEORGE’S PODCAST? 30 // LUMUMBA PT. 1 // OCT 2023

ARTS 27m

Perhaps the most critically lauded British podcasts of them all returns for a fourth space-bending, free-thinking series, and this time looks out to Africa for a run of episodes under the banner of ‘After Empire’. Ghana’s struggle for freedom from colonial rule features, but the exploration of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s former dominance of African music – and how it ties into the country’s economic dysfunction – is a typically imaginative way into storytelling from George the Poet.

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POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

WRIGHTY'S HOUSE

IAN WRIGHT TURNS 60 // NOV 2023

SPORT 56m

We've sung Ian Wright's praises in the past for championing new voices in the world of football podcasting, but for this special episode of Wrighty's House all focus is on the main man himself. Musa Okwonga joins Ian to celebrate his 60th birthday by discussing his journey so far, gathering his thoughts on family, grief, faith, legacy, and, of course, football. For a man who is always (to coin one of his favourite phrases) handing out flowers to others, it's a joy to hear him receive his own.

MCCARTNEY: A LIFE IN LYRICS LET IT BE // OCT 2023

MUSIC 24m

Longtime Macca-watchers may feel that they've heard the story of how Paul wrote ‘Let It Be’ more times than they’ve heard ‘Let It Be’ itself. It’s a wellworn yarn with his mum speaking to him in a dream, but more layers are uncovered here. While putting together the book McCartney: A Life in Lyrics last year, the poet Paul Muldoon chatted with McCartney about dozens of songs. Those conversations were never meant for broadcast – but now they’ve been refashioned into a refreshingly unguarded interview pod.

THE CONFLICT

INSIDE THE AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL // NOV 2023

NEWS 23m

Over more than 30 years Lyse Doucet has been in conflict zones all around the world for the BBC, and she helms this sober daily update pod about the ongoing war in Gaza which puts an emphasis on on-theground reporting and expert analysis over empty punditry. BBC Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson joins Doucet for this episode as they invite listeners into the Al-Shifa hospital, the main hospital in Gaza City.

New, up to the minute episodes are released every few days.

SHRINK THE BOX

JAMIE TOVELL - TOP BOY // OCT 2023

TV 50m

Ben Bailey Smith, whose work as regular super-sub for Simon Mayo on 5 Live you might have heard, talks to psychotherapist Sasha Bates about the psychological dynamics at play in the minds of the characters at the heart of the biggest TV shows. Omar from The Wire, Shiv from Succession and a deconstruction of Mike from Ghosts with Kiell Smith-Bynoe have all been highlights, and this Top Boy-inspired exploration of emotional contagion in gang culture and grief driving recklessness is fascinating.

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THE HOLY GRAIL // IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...

EACH ISSUE WE BRING YOU A ROUND-UP OF THE AUDIBLE ORIGINAL PODCASTS OUR MEMBERS ARE LOVING AND PRESS ARE BUZZING ABOUT TOO. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO HERE’S OUR MEMBERS ON THEIR FAVOURITE LISTENS… GHOST STORIES: STEPHEN FRY'S DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry, as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow, to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut. Join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales of ghosts and ghouls, spirits and phantasms, spectres and apparitions. Listener discretion advised.

“Utterly superb” M.R

“Hauntingly Great” Mary Yelland

FRENCH & SAUNDERS TITTING ABOUT (SERIES 4) The legends of comedy are back. Dawn and Jennifer once more settle in behind the mic to bring you the fourth series of their smash hit podcast Titting About, armed with a fresh stack of shiny new topics to tit about.

From ghost hunting to grooming rituals, from unwatchable box sets to unlistenable bird noise, from franglais to faff; Dawn and Jennifer once again leave no stone unturned, and no corner of their lives un-poked, in their quest to ensure they are comprehensively titting about for your listening pleasure.

“I absolutely love this podcast” DMG

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“Good for the soul!” Anon

POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

SLAYERS: A BUFFYVERSE STORY Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them. A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys. Rebellious vampire Spike (James Marsters) is working undercover in Los Angeles with his old pal Clem (James Charles Leary) when he meets feisty, rookie Slayer, Indira (Laya DeLeon Hayes), who wants Spike to be her mentor.

Stakes intensify as Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) emerges from an alternate reality where she alone is the Slayer, and Buffy Summers doesn’t exist. Cordelia enlists Spike’s help with a classic big bad terrorising her world…his ex, Drusilla (Juliet Landau). Giles (Anthony Head), Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford), Jonathan (Danny Strong), and Tara (Amber Benson) also return, but through the years and the vastness of the multiverse, not everyone is who they used to be.

“Obsessed!” Beth

“Thumbs up all round” JT

DERREN BROWN'S BOOT CAMP FOR EMOTION Our emotions play a powerful role in everything we think, everything we say and everything we do. In this series of Boot Camp, Derren Brown is joined by top behavioural scientists and diverse experts to reveal how we can control these powerful and mysterious forces which often hijack our rational thinking and lead us seriously astray. By increasing our emotional intelligence we can improve our lives in every conceivable way.

“Entertaining and informative” Amazon customer

“Loved everything about this!” Helen Richardson

USERNAME: RESURGENT Set in the world of Joe Sugg’s bestselling Username comic books, Audible Originals presents Username Resurgent. Sixteen year old Serena Hall’s big brother Silas walked into the woods on his twentieth birthday and never came back. When local police call off the search, Serena takes it on herself to investigate. Starting her own true-crime podcast, she delves into a world she never knew her brother inhabited, one of supernatural urban legends and global internet mythology that seems to centre on a malevolent digital entity known as The Angel of E.Scape.

“Hooked couldn't stop listening” Anon

“Gripping Intrigue” Anela Anne

LISTEN NOW. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED. SEE AUDIBLE.CO.UK FOR TERMS. // 09

PODCAST DISCIPLE //

SUZI RUFFELL IN EVERY ISSUE WE ASK A PODCAST DISCIPLE FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF PODCASTS AND PODCASTING. FOR THIS ISSUE WE’RE JOINED BY SUZI RUFFELL FROM LIKE MINDED FRIENDS & BIG KICK ENERGY! WHY DO YOU LOVE PODCASTS? There’s a freedom to podcasting, it’s pretty close to stand up in that respect. You can just create something and put it out, you aren’t waiting for a green light from a production company. You have control that you don’t have in other types of media, you can decide what makes the edit and what content you want to focus on. Creatively it’s quite liberating. It’s also a brilliant way to connect with an audience.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST POD YOU EVER LISTENED TO? I think it was Cariad Lloyds brilliant podcast Griefcast. It’s a really great podcast where people chat about grief, which sounds like it might be really depressing but it’s actually quite uplifting and hopeful.

WHICH PODCASTER MAKES YOU LAUGH THE MOST? I am very lucky that I get to do two podcasts with two brilliant comedians Tom Allen on 10 //

Like Minded Friends and Maisie Adam on Big Kick Energy and they both make me laugh a lot but its probably deeply cringe to use your own podcast as an answer. I really enjoy Kathy Burke’s podcast Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake, she always makes me laugh. I also love French and Saunders Titting About, there’s an episode where they’re chat about things that have gone wrong while touring and I was laughing so hard I was crying while driving on a motorway. Probably not that safe to be honest.

WHICH PODCAST EDUCATED YOU MOST?

HAS THE

I love Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail.

She’s such a great interviewer and manages to ask quite direct and exposing questions without feeling like she’s overstepping a line. She always has such brilliant guests, every week whether you’ve heard of them or not, I always come away feeling like I have learnt something and a little bit more comfortable with my own failures.

POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

CAN YOU RECOMMEND A SHOW OUR READERS MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF YET? Safe Space is a brilliant podcast hosted by friends Emma and Hester, it is a show about queer history confirming the fact that the queer community has always been

around. My favourite episodes include ‘How Roman’s made the Yuletide Gay’, ‘Berlins Queer History’ and a recent episode on the Ballroom scene from its beginnings in the 1870’s. Fascinating stuff! suziruffell

suziruffellcomedy

SUZI'S RECOMMENDED PODCASTS

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BREAKING BREAD // WITH

A VERY CHAMPIONSHIP CHRISTMAS WITH SECOND TIER! THE HOSTS OF THE UK’S NO.1 CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL PODCAST PICK OUT THE BEST OF THE GAMES ON TV IN A BLOCKBUSTER CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE It might be getting cold outside, but the Championship season is hotting up! And that’s not just because West Brom’s mascot is a man dressed as a boiler. From top to bottom, there is narrative, drama and more narrative!

The Second Tier podcast keeps you in the know all year round.

Every Thursday and Sunday, hosts and self-confessed Championship obsessives Ryan Dilks and Justin Peach bring you match reactions and tackle all the topics that fans really care about. It’s all the best storylines, with less of the xG! So forget the Radio Times’ Christmas TV guide. We’ve got you covered with all the games you need to watch this Christmas from the most entertaining football league in the world!

contested in almost four years which means the bitter rivals have plenty to catch up on.

That day, Ipswich were beaten 3-0.

But fast forward to 2023 and Ipswich have been cruising this season under Kieran McKenna. Norwich, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency in the midst of lots of changes upstairs, meaning that Ipswich have the upper hand in this fixture for the first time since 2010 - when Norwich were a third-tier side.

There will be more than bragging rights on offer in this fixture at Portman Road.

BIRMINGHAM CITY vs LEICESTER CITY 20:00 Monday December 18th Ryan: Did someone say Wagatha Christie: Part 2?! This fixture sees Birmingham boss Wayne Rooney reunited with Leicester striker IPSWICH TOWN vs NORWICH CITY Jamie Vardy for another round in the ring 12:30 Saturday December 16th except this time it probably won’t involve Justin: The East Anglian derby hasn’t been phones ending up in the sea.

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Birmingham City wanted “no fear football” when Rooney was appointed – but it’ll be hard to stand up to Leicester’s Maresca-ball, which has seen them take 36 points from their opening 13 games.

Championship following promotion last season.

League

One

Expectations are completely different on Humberside though, with the ambitious Club President, Acun Ilicali, funding a promotion The sub-plot to this is just too juicy to ignore challenge for Hull City. and my fingers are firmly crossed that Vardy lets his impulsive thoughts win if he scores An emphatic Ozan Tufan hat trick was in this one. the difference in the reverse fixture in August when optimism was still in the air IPSWICH TOWN vs LEICESTER CITY at Hillsborough. However, three points will 19:45 Tuesday 26th December be vital if the club are going to steer clear of a drop back into League One. Expect a RD: The best Christmas present of all. These supercharged atmosphere at Hillsborough. two sides both had the best starts to a season in Championship history, and Boxing As the Championship kicks into high gear this Day will be the first time they clash. festive season, Second Tier is your ticket to the real action. Join hosts Ryan Dilks and The big difference between the two is Justin Peach every Thursday and Sunday for Leicester have been freshly-relegated from match reactions and discussions on the the Premier League with a massive budget, hottest Championship topics. From the East while Ipswich are newly-promoted from Anglian derby's revival to the intriguing clash League One. It’s a mouthwatering fixture with between Ipswich Town and Leicester City so much at stake, including getting one over on Boxing Day, the Championship promises their chief rival to win the whole division. unforgettable moments. Don't miss out on the real blockbuster stories; tune in to SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY vs HULL CITY Second Tier: The Championship Podcast, 17:15 Monday 1st January where every match is a story in itself. The football festivities begin here!

JP: What better way to kickstart a season than a win on New Year's Day? Sheffield You don’t want to miss new episodes of Wednesday will be looking to grab three Second Tier which you can find wherever you points after a disastrous return to the get your podcasts. stakpod

stakpod

Stak produces podcasts that entertain and inform, including some of the UK’s biggest and most popular shows - boasting a combined 4 million monthly listens and over 45 years of podcasting experience.

Whether recording remotely or in our broadcast-grade London studio, we specialise in every stage of the podcasting process. To find out more or get in touch, visit our website at stak.london!

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BREAKING BREAD // WITH

LUKE AND PETE’S DREAM CHRISTMAS! THE LUKE & PETE SHOW IS BRINGING YOU A HEALTHY DOSE OF WEIRD AND WACKY THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON The Christmas lights are up, the turkey is in the oven, everyone is wearing flimsy paper crowns, and your two favourite uncles are standing in the corner having a weird conversation about batteries… Welcome to The Luke & Pete Show!

The festive season is upon us, and Luke and Pete are bringing you all the world’s stunningly strange stories. From intergalactic conspiracy theories to Elon Musk’s latest attempts to be cool, and lots of questions about Hulk Hogan, all your party conversation starters are covered! … Maybe.

To celebrate we’ve asked Luke and Pete to predict the other co-host’s dream Christmas - what could possibly go wrong?

So, where do you think they are waking up on Christmas morning?

Pete: One of those bags of 10 quid jamon crisps he keeps talking about, or a book about UFOs. A book as big as an alsatian about Eisenhower’s continuance of the New Deal, 1956-57.

Luke: Anything tech. Anything that can be construed as some kind of superfluous gadget; an electric tin opener, some thermal paste perhaps.

What would be the one thing that would ruin Christmas for them?

Pete: Me turning up. God, should I? Luke: I could see the toilet being blocked and he will insist on trying to fix it rather than leaving it alone. For some reason I have an image of him looking confused holding a plunger in a marigolded hand

Pete: In his house - rubbing his eyes as he trudges downstairs for a morning of present opening in the bosom of his young family, pausing only to part the Venetians to see if the lady over the road has illegally put her cones out on this special day.

How does their dream Christmas end?

Luke: Pete will be woken up on Christmas morning in his workshop/shed down the bottom of the garden by one of his dogs. He will rapidly come to the realisation he's bought hardly any presents, and the ones he's bought he can't find. The ones he can find he has no idea who they're for.

Luke: I think of him falling asleep in an easy chair with a glass of something nice on the go, wearing a Christmas hat at a jaunty angle, his glasses falling slightly down his nose and his mouth slightly upturned in satisfaction.

What gift would they be most excited for opening?

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Pete: Snoozing in front of Only Fools and Horses. Luke’s Dad rocks up with a newly reconditioned park bench and he stretches out on it. Closing his eyes and dreaming of being probed by ALF or something.

For all your festive frivolities this holiday season, head over to The Luke & Pete Show wherever you get your podcasts. lnk.to/lukeandpeteshow

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THE SCRIPTURES //

PODCASTS WITH BACK CATALOGUES THAT ARE ALL KILLER, NO FILLER SOME PODS YOU DIP IN AND OUT OF, OTHERS YOU LISTEN TO RELIGIOUSLY. HERE’S OUR LATEST SELECTION OF PODCASTS THAT ARE WELL WORTH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION. 60 SONGS THAT EXPLAIN THE 90'S

MUSIC The ongoing 90s nostalgia-thon shows no signs of abating, and there’s no better way to understand the never-ending decade than through the music it gave us. Music critic Rob Harvilla goes under the bonnet of a different mega-hit each time, from ‘You Oughta Know’ to ‘Whoomp! (There It Is)’ via Chumbawumba’s ‘Tubthumping’, to try to understand a different part of the cultural landscape of the time.

It’s a touch America-centric but it's still fun, enlightening stuff.

NOT THE TOP 20

FOOTBALL If you’re frustrated by the cursory nods to anything outside of the Premier League on the biggest football podcasts, head toward the back of the terraces with Ali Maxwell and George Elek as they run through everything that’s going on in the rest of the Football League. The 72 clubs get their due focus here, with all the mininarratives and emerging heroes which are often missed in the nonstop churn of the back pages debated and dissected at leisure.

EERIE

FICTION A series of original audio horror stories that, while hosted and produced by author and film critic Anna Bogutskaya, are each written by someone different. A well produced and beautifully paced anthology show with superb story telling and sound design.

The acting and production of the second episode in particular hits enough realistic touch-points through it's ‘found-footage’ (or ‘foundaudio’?) to make us terrified to listen to voicenotes from now on…

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PAGE 94: THE PRIVATE EYE PODCAST

NEWS Every fortnight Private Eye throws hand grenades into the news cycle, but as the cycle revolves at several hundred RPM these days, it’s good to have a catch-up in between issues. Andrew Hunter Murray chairs discussions with editor Ian Hislop and other contributors on every big story that’s reared up since the last magazine came out, as well as throwing to specialist reporters for updates on the likes of the Covid inquiry and HS2.

WHAT IF?

POLITICS At some point in every debate, someone will wonder aloud something to the effect of, ‘Won’t somebody please think of the children?’ The problem is, that rarely leads to anyone actually asking young people what they think. So, Alisa Anwar talks to other young people as well as experts and insiders when this podcast from the Intergenerational Foundation – a charity dedicated to making intergenerational fairness part of public policy – digs into the big what ifs facing us today.

GOT A PROBLEM MATE

COMEDY The agony aunt podcast is a fine and noble tradition, but invariably the last place you should ever go to actually get your problems solved. Comedians Bilal Zafar and Joey Page maintain that tradition by taking listeners’ problems and riffing amiably around it while keeping up a loose, hangout vibe. In fact, the problems people send in are basically irrelevant. It’s just a good time, with Page the pinballing loose cannon and Zafar a wry, dry foil.

KNOW YOUR CARIBBEAN

SOCIETY & CULTURE A podcast which extends the work of the Know Your Caribbean platform in spreading the culture and stories of Caribbean nations, and it’s as varied and vivid as the places it represents. There’s the surprising history of black mermaids, traditions of obeah and magic among Caribbean societies, and tales of resistance by enslaved peoples in the face of unbearable cruelty. The lingering trauma of slavery is a part of the story, but there’s a lot of joy here too.

THE REFERRAL WITH DR. KARAN

WELLNESS Dr. Karan brings his high-energy, simplified dissections of medical conditions from TikTok to podcasts, with each episode neatly divided into medical news updates, mythbusting interviews, and a Q&A with questions from listeners. Medical podcasts tread a fine line between being really informative and too technical but Dr. Karan’s social media experience helps him strike just the right balance in his transition to longer form content. // 19

TALKSPORT FAN NETWORK // ADVERTORIAL FROM

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match previews, post-match analyses and transfer rumours.

Search talkSPORT Fan Network to find out more. The ultimate destination for true sports fanatics!

LEAGUE ONE BLACKPOOL //

SEASIDERS PODCAST BOLTON WANDERERS //

TROTTER CHATTER PETERBOROUGH UNITED //

THE YELLOW BLOCK BARNSLEY //

REDS REPORT DERBY COUNTY //

RAMS TALK LINCOLN CITY //

THE STACEY WEST PODCAST WYCOMBE WANDERERS //

HEROES OF HP12 CARLISLE UNITED //

THE BLUE ARMY PODCAST 20 //

POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

LEAGUE TWO STOCKPORT COUNTY //

SCARF BERGARA WORE WREXHAM //

ROB. RYAN. RED. MANSFIELD TOWN //

MANSFIELD MATTERS SWINDON TOWN //

THE LOATHED STRANGERS AFC WIMBLEDON //

THE WOMBLES HAD A DREAM MK DONS //

THE MK1 PODCAST WALSALL //

WALSALL FAN TV BRADFORD CITY //

THE CITY VENT SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE ST MIRREN //

MISERY HUNTERS WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE ARSENAL WOMEN //

INSIDE THE RED AND WHITE Listen to these podcasts on your favourite podcast platform or to find out more search talkSPORT Fan Network. If you are a podcast creator and want to get involved with the Network then please contact james.rowe@talksport.co.uk

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POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE PODCASTS OF THE YEAR IN A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES

PODBIBLEMAG.COM POLLS CLOSE ON 31ST DECEMBER

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POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

FOR THE LOVE OF POD //

JOSIE LONG THE WRITER, STAND UP COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER PICKS OUT HER CURRENT TOP 5 SHOWS...

1 2 3 4 5

TRASHFUTURE

I love this show. It’s the only show I get frustrated waiting for each week.

It’s very smart and also manages to be funny, stupid and a bit gross. It’s a left wing political show which informs me and makes me feel less alone in the world, hosted by a gang who each bring something special to it.

THE BEEF AND DAIRY NETWORK

My long time favourite podcast, I’ve never missed an episode. It’s a whole fictional universe coming from a fake farming network.

Surreal, inventive improvisation and always expertly produced and soundtracked. My favourite episodes are the beef call ones.

MAINTENANCE PHASE

After Michael Hobbes left “you’re wrong about” it felt a bit like my parents were getting divorced. Again. But I am so happy for him in his new podcast with Aubrey Gordon. This show has helped me so much in the never ending quest to unpick diet culture from my mind and life.

HEAVY PENCIL

This is a brilliant radio sitcom, only available as a podcast. It’s self contained as only a few series were made, but it’s a really funny show and deserves to be treasured!

LIGHTS OUT

I can’t recommend short cuts, my podcast of my radio 4 show, as that seems tacky, even though I would love to. However I can recommend this fantastic show of longer form documentaries made by the same producers. It’s beautiful, educating and transportative all at once.

Josie's BBC Radio 4 podcast Short Cuts is back for a new series in 2024 but you can catch up with all 36 series right now! Josie's new book Because I Don't Know What You Mean and What You Don't is out now in hardback and coming to paperback in the spring.

More info available at josielong.com.

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THE OLD TESTAMENT //

CLASSIC EPISODES FROM THE PODCAST ARCHIVES CELEBRITY CATCH UP

INTERVIEW 1h

JERRY SPRINGER // MAR 2023

Recently named Independent Podcast of the Year at the inaugural Independent Podcast Awards, Celebrity Catch Up celebrates pre millennium film, music and TV and chats to prominent stars from the era.

For this episode, host Genevieve Hassan chatted to Jerry Springer for what ended up being his final ever interview. The pair reminisce about the beginnings of The Jerry Springer Show and how it became one of the most popular, outrageous and controversial talk shows in TV history.

NAPOLEON

HISTORY 53m

PART 1 // THE HUMBLE CORSICAN // AUG 2022 If you’ve been swept up in Ridley Scott’s biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, this is a thorough six-hour telling of his rise from obscurity as a second lieutenant to the master of Europe, with the soothing tones of history doc don Paul McGann. It’s a part of Noiser’s long-running Real Dictators strand, and whether Napoleon deserves his place alongside Kim Jong-il and Hitler in that series is debatable, but it’s as comprehensive and well put together an introduction to Le Petit Corporal’s life as you could hope for.

THE GUILTY FEMINIST

GETTING OLDER WITH JENNY ÉCLAIR // JUN 2017

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 48m

The Guilty Feminist's sold out live shows are well known for their electric atmosphere, and this episode from 2017 makes you feel like part of the audience as Jenny Eclair brings her intoxicating humour to the Kings Place stage. Jenny is joined by co-hosts Deborah Frances-White and Sindhu Vee for a deep dive into the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of growing older, with plenty of irreverent and hilarious tangents along the way.

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LOCKED TOGETHER

EP 2 // JENNIFER SAUNDERS & DAWN FRENCH // APR 2020

COMEDY 33m

The Audible Original Locked Together featured intimate conversations recorded during lockdown between a variety of double acts or famous friends. Jennifer Saunders & Dawn French's episode paved the way for their ongoing Audible show Titting About, so this makes for a nice origin story. From discussions about cutting their own hair to trying to avoid alcohol until Pointless is on, Jennifer and Dawn have the kind of conversation so many of us became accustomed to during the pandemic.

30 FOR 30

OUT OF THE WOODS // NOV 2019

SPORT DOCUMENTARY 48m

World-class biathlete Kari Swenson was on an afternoon trail run in the mountains near Big Sky, Montana in July 1984 when two men blocked her path and forever altered the trajectory of her life. An incredible story transformed into a gripping audio documentary from the makers of the acclaimed ESPN 30 for 30 TV series. Warning, the story centres around an act of violence and the resulting trauma, but if you're open to it you'll be rewarded with an expertly crafted and sensitive telling of Kari's story.

BROKEN RECORD

RUN THE JEWELS // MAR 2020

MUSIC 55m

Broken Record features open ended conversations with musicians from a wide range of genres and is the brainchild of journalist Malcolm Gladwell and super producer Rick Rubin. Recorded while finishing work on their most recent album, El-P and Killer Mike from Run The Jewels shoot the breeze with Rubin at his world famous Shangri-La studio. The duo discuss the music that informed their childhoods, the imperfections that make each recording so special and much more, all expertly guided by a clearly intrigued Rubin.

HAPPY MUM HAPPY BABY

CHRIS & ROSIE RAMSEY // MAY 2019

FAMILY 1h 11m

In the Happy Mum, Happy Baby Podcast, Giovanna Fletcher hosts a series of eye opening, funny and thoughtful conversations with high-profile parents to discuss all aspects of parenthood - the highs, the lows, the challenges and rewards. This episode with Chris & Rosie Ramsey (cover stars of Pod Bible issue #004!) stands out not only because of the couple's humour but also their honesty when discussing subjects including breastfeeding and how they coped with a miscarriage before the birth of their son, Robin. // 25

THE GOOD SAMARITAN //

PODCASTS WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE JASON REED FROM LEAP UK & THE STOP AND SEARCH PODCAST SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE BEHIND PODCASTS FROM THE CHARITY AND CAUSES SECTOR When John-Barry Waldron created the On the Ward podcast, it was clear from the outset that he was going to have to dispel some entrenched myths about complex mental illness. Having worked as a mental health nurse all his working life, John-Barry is well placed to convey what it’s really like on the inside of a psychiatric ward.

Lots of people I know tend to think of a straitjacket and padded cells, the images you get from Hollywood movies.

I hoped the podcast could challenge that by allowing patients to tell their own story.

I’d recently seen the movie The Joker - it’s a good film but it portrayed The Joker as having serious mental illness and that people are dangerous. I thought a podcast could show what the patients are actually like. There was also a sense that when patients go to hospital their lives stop and only start again when they leave the hospital. I felt by using the patient's own words they could talk about what their time in hospital had been like, I felt 26 //

there were some misconceptions about what secure psychiatric hospitals are really like.

With such an intensely personal and deep subject matter, John-Barry was careful in how he wanted to construct a podcast.

The patients I interviewed were so engaging, open and honest, they had put a lot of faith in being heard. I realised that it was too important to not be released.

The podcast is essentially me interviewing staff and patients who live and work in a secure mental health hospital. I hope that people can take away the fact that a psychiatric hospital is not what is portrayed in films. Yes, there are problems and they are not perfect, but they aren't like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest anymore.

People who have serious mental illness, their lives don't end when they go to hospital, they are still creating art, volunteering, making music, and helping others. I have seen more heart, compassion, empathy and love from mental health patients than anyone else.

POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

On the Ward's listenership has been diverse and there are many ways in which the podcast has helped and continues to dispel taboos for patients and families.

The reaction has been phenomenal. I am always blown away by the fact that people are listening, but it's always the personal stories that resonate the most. The patients who featured in the podcast are always thankful whenever they see me. One keeps all the tweets his episode has received and reads them to me. I've had patients' families contact me and say that it made them less afraid or worried about visiting their son or daughter, and that it helped them understand what their loved one is going through. I think

one of my fondest responses was a woman on Twitter/X who wrote that she wished she'd had the podcast to listen to before she went to hospital. Most importantly it has given a chance for people who never get heard to use their voice.

John-Barry has championed the charity Mind and wishes to highlight their important work.

With a mix of live panel discussions, celebrity guests, policy experts and general inquisitiveness, STOP AND SEARCH discusses drugs, addiction, mental health and the media. Available on Spotify, Acast and all other platforms.

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OH MY POD //

INDEPENDENT PODCASTS WITH BIG BRANDS AND FAMOUS NAMES DOMINATING THE CHARTS, IT CAN BE TOUGH FOR INDIE SHOWS TO BREAK THROUGH. HERE AT POD BIBLE WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WHILE CONTINUING TO CELEBRATE THE BIG GUNS, WE'RE ALSO CHAMPIONING THE INDIES. IN EACH ISSUE WE ASK INDIE PODCASTS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THEIR SHOW. HERE ARE OUR CURRENT FAVES...

MOTHER OF ALL SOLUTIONS

Conversations about careers and caring for today's parents. Featuring stories from mums as they navigate their return to work, discussions about getting a role that's right for you and your family, and issues affecting work for modern day mums and dads.

HISTORY HAPPENED EVERYWHERE

History Happened Everywhere, each episode covers a randomlygenerated place, time and topic to prove history isn't just kings, queens and wars. A light-hearted learning podcast.

THE SUBVERSE

A podcast that uncovers the hidden and marginal in stories about nature, culture and social justice. From the cosmic to the quantum, from cells to cities and from colonial histories to reimagining futures. Hosted by Susan Mathews.

WRESTLING WITH THE CHAMP

Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, this award-nominated comedy is now into its fifth season. The Pub Wrestling Federation champion AKA The Ginger Ninja shares tall tales from the turnbuckle, including a real fight in gravy. The funniest ride in wrestling!

REMOTE

A parapsychological thriller about a woman who gains the ability to perform remote viewing and uses it to find missing people while uncovering a malevolence that threatens humanity.

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POD BIBLE // #030 // DEC 2023

MADE IN THE MIDLANDS

Adrian Goldberg interviews famous Midlanders asking what part the region played in their success and together they explore the Midlands identity.

Previous guests inc Lee Child, Ken Loach, Jess Phillips & Pauline Black.

THE FORCE DYAD

The Force Dyad is a #StarWars podcast hosted by best buds Jedi John & Obi-Sean. Featuring insights and breakdowns into the latest shows, comics, and collectibles we provide the latest and greatest from our favourite galaxy far, far away!

COLD WAR CONVERSATIONS

Award-winning oral history project preserving the stories of the Cold War before they are lost. Hearing their voice, with every breath, hesitation and intonation brings a whole new dimension to understanding what it was like to be there...

JUST CHEESY

Cheese, cheese and more cheese. Every week, Fondue (a human woman) and Cheesy (a literal ball of cream cheese) talk about cheese history, cheese news and tell a very cheesy joke. Just Cheesy: The Podcast!

THERAPY DIARIES

An honest (and funny) podcast sharing experiences of navigating the therapy process and tips/tricks that have helped us along the way. It’s not about the trauma - instead we unpick the taboos surrounding therapy… and have a few laughs along the way.

FOLK ON FOOT

In each episode of Folk on Foot, host Matthew Bannister walks with a top folk musician in a landscape that has inspired their music and they sing and play on location. “A restorative breathing space in sound” The Telegraph. “The fabulous, fabulous Folk on Foot” Robert Macfarlane.

RAMBLIN: AN AMBLIN PODCAST

A podcast ramblin' through the weird and wonderful films of Amblin Entertainment, with friends and special guests joining along the way as we unpack gems of nostalgia and never seen curiosities!

GOT A PODCAST YOU'D LOVE TO SEE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE? SEND US A ONE OR TWO SENTENCE DESCRIPTION ON TWITTER! #OHMYPOD // @PODBIBLE // 29