Hello all! Today, we’re talking podcasts. Personally, I’m a big fan of podcasts; as a student who can’t work on assignments without some type of noise in the background, podcasts are the ticket! Yet, podcasts are a bit of a double-edged sword as they’ve become so prevalent that finding one actually worthwhile is an undertaking. It seems that everyone has a podcast these days about all sorts of things. It’s hard to know where to start! Unfortunately, I really only listen to podcasts from over the pond. British content for me is far superior and a heck of a lot more fun than American content. It’s completely a personal thing, so no offense if you’ve got an American podcast poster hanging on your wall. So let’s talk British podcasts! 

There’s No Such Thing as a Fish:

If anyone knows me well, they know I’m a big fan of a fun fact. Did you know that blue whales eat half a million calories in just one mouth full? Crazy! This is the podcast for you if you’re into fun facts as much as I am. During each episode, the four hosts bring to the table their best fun fact learned throughout the past week. They then spend some time discussing their facts. If it sounds boring to you, I promise you it’s not. They’re all completely hilarious and their facts are often ridiculous, so it’s a great little listen. 

My all-time favorite episode is when they were discussing all the ridiculous people who attempted to run during the last major election in 2017. Since anyone can run in the UK, they often have many joke candidates. In 2017 there was Lord Buckethead, a man running with a bucket on his head, a man dressed as a fish finger and then another dressed as Elmo. All were running under platforms just as ridiculous as their costumes, and thus this makes for a fantastic episode. 

True Geordie: 

If you were looking for the UK’s answer to Joe Rogan, Brian Davis would be it. His podcast “True Geordie” sees cool guests interviewed who share their sides of every story. Just last week, Doc Antle, from the “Tiger King” Netflix show was interviewed. The podcast is just over an hour and it’s interesting to hear an unedited view of the situation and how Doc Antle started. 

With a documentary series, a lot of the narration of the story is created by the director and editors to make it watchable and exciting to viewers. But something like this, where Davis allows Antle to just talk, it’s a must better picture of how Antle saw everything. 

Though this is his most recent episode, there are some fantastic other ones. “The Truth About LONDON GANGSTERS” has Davis and his podcast co-host, Laurence McKenna, interviewing Bobby Cummines. Cummines was a hitman for different crime families in the mid 20th century, and sent to jail for the first time at the age of 16. Eventually, he would land himself in prison for a 12-year sentence as a category-A prisoner, marking him as one of the most dangerous criminals locked up. Instead of joining in with the criminal activities going on in the prison, he decided to get an education, thus turning his entire life around. 

If you’re looking for something a lot lighter, the “True Geordie Christmas Special” is something I look forward to every year. Davis and McKenna bring on their YouTube friends and comedians to get drunk and discuss the year. It always spirals out of control, and by the end of the episode they’re spilling gossip and throwing major shade at some of the country’s biggest creators. It’s a fantastic listen for anyone who’s interested!

My Dad Wrote a Porno: 

This is actually quite a popular podcast, and has been around for a bit of time to get a couple of celebrity fans like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Daisy Ridley. In 2015, the podcast was started by Jamie Morton in order to read and share an amateur erotic novel his father wrote under a pen name. He brought his two friends, James Cooper and Alice Levine, on to read and react…comedy gold was born. Each week they’d read a chapter and react to it on the podcast special. It’s completely hilarious and something you might not want to listen to with mom in the car, but it’s just fantastic. Unlike the other two I recommended, I’m not going to spoil anything here. Honestly, just go give it a listen and then we’ll talk after.

*Bonus! Hamish and Andy:

So, this is a bit of a bonus, because it’s from two Australians. Technically it’s not British, but it’s still funny and they have cool accents, so I’m counting it. These two are the funniest human beings alive. Hamish and Andy met in college and moved first into television shows, before radio hosting, and now they’re in the podcast game. 

Since they’ve been at it for so long, they’re basically celebrities in Australia and thus they have a huge audience who listen and participate each week. One of their segments is dedicated to spotlighting the magical talents of their fans. The talents range from being able to perfectly microwave leftovers, being able to turn the shower on to the right temperature in just four seconds to knowing the gender of a dog by just looking at it. Odd and quirky and just plain hilarious, these people will come in and attempt to display their talents to an excited Hamish and Andy. Sometimes they can actually do the things they claim and sometimes they fail horrifically, but it all makes for great content and a fantastic time. 

Honestly, all of these podcasts would make a great listen and I hope you enjoy!

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