Six UK podcasts that are fascinating and fun
Podcasts are a pretty amazing phenomenon and I am late to the party. But for the last few years, I have been embracing the medium, partly because they can be fascinating and funny, and partly because they are a huge repository of ideas and interesting stories. The podcasts below are all entertaining and will teach you something.
I live in Thailand, which is currently under lockdown – so no cinemas, restaurants, or pubs. As a writer, my work is done at home. So, when I walk, it is purely for exercise, recreation, and a bracing lungful of exhaust fumes. Last week I wrote about how I have gotten really into audiobooks as they are ideal for when I try and hit 4000 steps, pacing back and forth in my condo. But when I leave the house, it is harder to focus. Bangkok has open holes in the walkways, motorbikes on the pavement, beggars, noise, and general distraction. Walking outside is podcast time.
Podcasts are funny, informative, and a brilliant way to learn new things. They are also great for writers searching for ideas. I get a ridiculous amount of stories for my Medium articles from podcasts.
Without further waffle, here are some podcasts I love and why. None of these suggestions pay me and I am not getting affiliate cash either, they are genuinely what I like.
You’re dead to me
I put this first as it was the last thing I listened to. ‘You’re dead to me’ is a superb and fun way to learn history. It is hosted by historian Greg Jenner, who also did Horrible Histories.
Each week, there is a specific period or person in history that is examined. To help Jenner, there is a historian whose specialty is the topic discussed and a comedian who knows nothing, acting as a listener making funny comments. It works really well, the history is obviously accurate, and the comedian makes the whole experience entertaining.
This is a brilliant podcast and has been the source of lots of my more interesting historical pieces. You can download episodes from BBC Radio 4 here or simply find them on any podcast app.
No such thing as a fish
This is podcast by the QI Elves. That will mean something if you know what QI is. It is four people who know a lot of really interesting facts about a huge and diverse range of subjects. They will start with a fascinating fact and it will continue from there with discussions and related points of interest.
The great thing about this show is that the four are likeable and knowledgeable. The podcast is also a great place for ideas and a mine of quirky information.
They also have books and are about to do a tour called ‘Nerd Immunity’. For more info: www.nosuchthingasafish.com
The infinite monkey cage
If you know who Professor Brian Cox is, then it should come as no surprise that this is a science podcast. If you don’t know him, he is a legend in the UK for the brilliant and lyrical way he describes things. He is like an English Carl Sagan.
Professor Cox is a physicist and Robin Ince is a comedian. The way they work off each other is a lot of fun and, like many others on this list, it is really interesting.
Here is their BBC Radio 4 page.
Punt PI
Steve Punt is a comedian, but in this, he turns detective. This is more of a crime podcast, but not one of those that is traumatic to listen to. You also learn about some interesting people you may have never heard of before.
This was recommended to me but for some reason, you can only listen from series 7 onwards. To give you an example of the sorts of topics, the first one is the mysterious death of Alfred Lowenstein. Lowenstein was the third richest man in the world in the 1920s. While on his private plane, he apparently went to use the toilet, opened the wrong door, and apparently fell out of the plane. Given his net worth and the unlikelihood of his demise, conspiracies abounded.
You can get episodes here or on any podcast provider.
The curious cases of Rutherford & Fry
Here is the blurb:
“Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.”
It’s a lot of fun and they investigate a huge variety of topics from the search for alien life, could you design a pizza that had all the nutrients you needed, to how the universe will end.
Again, like all the others on this list, it’s fascinating and entertaining. Check them out here.
Adam Buxton is a comedian. You may even recognise him from the TV. Each week, he interviews someone. That’s pretty much it.
What makes the podcast so great, is that Buxton is funny, insightful, and a good interviewer. Adding to this is the fact that his guests are interesting and varied – among his most recent are: Kazuo Ishiguro, Laurie Anderson, and Lee Mack. All very different people.
You can check out his podcast here on his own website.
I could have added a few more but the above six are hundreds of hours, so that should be a start. Enjoy.
