The Best Podcasts To Listen To Now

It's no surprise that the rise of the humble podcast continues apace. With an increasingly diverse range of subjects being covered by professionals and amateurs alike, whether super-slick shows by polished radio presenters or celebrity show extensions or obscure labours of love by fan-girls, whatever you're interested in, there's a podcast for you.

Barely a day goes by in the Vogue office without a conversation that starts with, "Oh my god, have you heard that podcast..." So, from gripping investigations into grisly crimes and eye-opening political insights to feminist debate and shows that are so funny you'll laugh out loud on the bus, Vogue recommends the best podcasts 2019 available for download.

Vogue's guide to the best podcasts 2019

Best crime podcasts

Room 20

In a nursing home in San Diego, a patient known only as Six-Six Garage lies in a vegetative state after a near-fatal car accident, with police labelling him only as an "undocumented" Mexican immigrant. 15 years after his initial crash, reporter Joanne Faryon dedicates herself to finding out the truth about his identity and the people he left behind – the beginning of a shocking investigation into the history of his case. Gripping, timely, and important, it's another must-listen podcast from L.A. Times Studios following the success of Dirty John and Man In the window.

Best comedy podcasts

My Dad Wrote a Porno

What would you do if your dad wrote a pornographic novel? This was the question Jamie Morton asked himself back in 2015. His answer? Read it out loud with two friends and broadcast it for the world to hear. Each episode follows Jamie and his friends reading a chapter of his father’s (pen name "Rocky Flintstone") erotic novella Belinda Blinked, leading to genuine laugh-out-loud moments as they critique and analyse his handy work. It's so successful it’s now on its fourth series, notching up more than 100 million downloads and a run of live shows along the way.

Dear Joan and Jericha

Don’t be deceived by the homely Gaelic reel at the start of this podcast, Julia Davis (Nighty Night) and Vicki Pepperdine’s (Getting On) tongue-in-cheek take on radio agony aunts really ought to come with an "explicit content" warning and, frankly, you’d be better off taking life advice from two paper bags. As such, their attempts at dispensing advice are shoulder-shakingly funny, dark and excruciating by turns, with a distinctly anatomical bent.

2 Dope Queens

Hosted by Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams and recorded in front of a live studio audience in Brooklyn, 2 Dope Queens is a winning mix of stand-up, stories and a diverse range of guest comics – from LGBT comedians to comedians of colour. Topics oscillate wildly but one constant is that nothing is ever off-limits, meaning it’s so brutally honest and brilliantly funny that it’s easy to understand why it’s in its fourth year and has been picked up by US TV network HBO.

MarsCorp

Set on Mars in the year 2072. Kick-ass female protagonist EL Hob is sent from Earth to help terraform the planet. But when something goes wrong and she’s woken up centuries late, she finds a dysfunctional society cut off from Earth; one that she has to learn to live with in order to carry out a vital mission… A brilliantly funny story line comprising of 12 parts, with each episode around 30-45mins. A must-listen for anyone who loves dark British comedy.

est relationships podcasts

Modern Love

The podcast version of The New York Times’ weekly relationships column, Modern Love sees hosts Meghna Chakrabarti and Daniel Jones invite celebrities into the studio to read from the newspaper’s extensive archive of hilarious, heart-breaking and relatable essays on love, loss and redemption. Highlights include Willem Dafoe reading "Missing a Father I Hardly Knew", Saoirse Ronan’s take on "Grappling with the Language of Love" and Kate Winslet’s "When a Couch is More Than a Couch".

Best music podcasts

Song Exploder

For sound engineers, music producers and all-round music buffs, Song Exploder, hosted by musician and composer Hrishikesh Hirway dissects songs and albums and explores the creative process behind how the artists brought their "all-time greats" to life. Tracks range from "Game of Thrones (Main Title Theme)" by Ramin Djawadi, to U2’s “Cedarwood Road” even to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call me Maybe:”.

Dissect

Dive into modern R&B and hip-hop classics with a podcast that makes Genius look like child’s play. Classically trained musician and composer Cole Cuchna peels back the layers within albums by Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and Frank Ocean in obsessive detail, creating around 13 hours of insight per record. Weaving together personal biography with lyrical and chordal analyses, even - or especially - if you think you know these albums, prepare for your mind to expand discovering the depths you missed.

Best interview podcasts

TBD With Tina Brown

It's barely six months old, but TBD With Tina Brown's guest list reads more like that of a primetime TV chat show than a fledgling podcast – albeit one that's as concerned with US politics and the machinations of Silicon Valley's tech bros as it is Hollywood celebrities. Whether she's chatting to Hillary Clinton or Margot Robbie, legendary editor (her impressive little black book comes courtesy of game-changing tenures at Vanity Fair and The New Yorker) Brown's insightful, rapid-fire questions make for entertaining, frequently educational listening material every week.

Appearances

British Vogue's first-ever podcast is hosted by contributing editor Steve McQueen, and each week the Academy Award-winner and a notable guest consider how their appearance has shaped their lives and their perception of themselves. Episodes include model and activist Adwoa Aboah discussing her sometimes complicated relationship with her own beauty; Oscar-nominated actor Daniel Kaluuya on defying expectation; and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie sharing how she discovered a haven in the world of fashion.

Oprah’s Masterclass

As if we needed another reason to listen to Oprah imparting wisdom on us all! Vogue’s August cover star Winfrey’s podcast series is, as you would expect, must-listen, as she sits down with heavyweight celebrity guests – Alicia Keys, Jane Fonda, Jay-Z etc – to discuss their lives, hardships and greatest life lessons. Wise words, brought to you beautifully by the best in the game.

In the Third Person

The Streets’ Mike Skinner and long-time collaborator Murkage Dave attempt to uncover celebrities’ real feelings about their lives in this series of candid and laid-back interviews that are as likely to take place in a West End pub as a studio or office. Liam Gallagher, Alexa Chung and SB.TV mogul Jamal Edwards have spoken about their personal lives and careers so far in this new podcast which, like the charismatic hosts’ previous projects, is already gaining a cult following.

Best culture podcasts

The Chernobyl Podcast

If you have yet to watch HBO’s gripping, critically-acclaimed Chernobyl, hop to it immediately. The chilling five-part drama recounts the true story behind the infamous nuclear disaster of 1986, spotlighting the Soviet Union’s many lies about the threat of radioactive contamination within Ukraine and beyond. The performances are exquisite, with Jared Harris starring as the real-life inorganic chemist Valery Legasov; Stellan Skarsgård as Moscow-based bureaucrat Boris Shcherbina; and Emily Watson as the fictional nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk. The most remarkable part of the series, however, is its devotion to historical accuracy. In the accompanying podcast, series creator Craig Mazin reveals what he learned from interviewing countless survivors; how faithful the drama is to true events; and what it took to recreate day-to-day life in the USSR on set. Even the workers’ suits were made using Eighties cloth leftover from Soviet factories.

Bookclub

It’s the 20th year of BBC Radio 4’s show Bookclub, so for bibliophiles it doesn’t get much better right now. Its archive of more than 200 episodes are available as podcasts, all featuring host James Naughtie in conversation with some of the greatest authors of our times, followed by questions from an audience of readers. Past guests include Don DeLillo, Jay McInerney, Muriel Spark, Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, Elizabeth Strout, Naomi Alderman, Donna Tartt and a list that disappears into the horizon. Priceless.

Adam Buxton

If you used to spend Saturday mornings in the Noughties pottering around to Adam and Joe’s BBC Radio 6 Music show, you already know of Adam Buxton. This time he’s solo-hosting “ramble chats” with everyone from Wes Anderson to Kathy Burke and Michael Lewis. He’s warm and open and funny, but what’s really lovable about these podcasts (aside from the insulting talking dog – trust us) is that they have a knack of introducing you to interesting music, film, books, people and ideas.

In our Time

BBC Radio 4’s "history of ideas" show may pre-date the invention of podcasts by several years but In our Time feels made for the medium. There is something utterly modern and mindful about carving out 45 minutes from the busiest of schedules at your own choosing to listen to the brightest academic minds enthuse and – with the direction of enjoyably bluff host Melvyn Bragg – explain with crystal clarity everything from George Eliot’s Middlemarch to Constantine the Great to the science of Circadian Rhythms.

Best inspirational podcasts

Unsubscribe The Podcast

When Bumble wanted to launch its own podcast on mental health and positivity it turned to Vogue’s publishing director Vanessa Kingori to kick things off. In conversation with Bumble’s Louise Troen and activist Jada Sezer, Kingori brings her mix of engaging and inspiring ideas on everything from marriage to trusting her instincts in the new podcast’s first episode. “I know so many people who have the dream and are miserable,” Kingori says. “Life is really short, and if you’re not doing things that really set your heart alight, then what’s the point?”

At Home With…

Combining interiors with beauty and female entrepreneurship (which, somehow, works in an audio environment), At Home With… is hosted by UK beauty bloggers Anna Newton and Lily Pebbles. Each week, the duo visit the homes of some the UK’s most interesting beauty – and sometimes fashion – entrepreneurs. Recent guests have included Jules Von Hep, founder of Isle Of Paradise, Liz Earle, and By Terry’s innovator Terry De Gunzburg. Top tip: listen with A-Cast for visual accompaniments from inside the guests’ homes – the children’s picture book of podcasts.

How I Built This

If you’ve ever wondered where the idea for Instagram started, or the reason sports brand Lululemon was called just that, or if you want to listen to James Dyson talk about his failures before that vacuum cleaner, then How I Built This is for you. Host Guy Raz squeezes all the highs and lows out of brand founders as they discuss their journeys to making their global businesses a success. It’s a fascinating and inspiring podcast whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, launching a start-up or just

Best health podcasts

At The Table

Hosted by editor Miranda York and poet Anna Sulan Masing, At The Table is all about good food and great writing. Highlights from the first season include readings by the likes of Marina O’Loughlin on working at Glasgow’s famous restaurant The Ubiquitous Chip to The Sportsman’s Stephen Harris on his revolutionary Kentish cuisine. The best part of the series, however, is the quick-witted banter between York and Masing, touching on everything from Wetherspoon’s to MFK Fischer’s brilliant suggestion to leave tangerines on top of a radiator.

Yogaland

As the former editor of The Yoga Journal, Andrea Ferretti is no stranger to yoga and the topics of self care and awareness. This podcast is a great source of inspiration and information for anyone interested in creating a more meaningful conscious lifestyle for themselves, with topics ranging from yoga as a form of radical self care to overcoming life's obstacles, becoming a teacher and home schooling. With the help of her husband, renowned yoga teacher Jason Crandell, Ferretti also touches on the philosophy, evolution and politics of yoga in the Western world today.

Talking Tastebuds

Hosted by Venetia Falcolner, Talking Tastebuds is arguably the ultimate foodie podcast. Guests range from Michelin star chefs to vegan pioneers like the Happy Pear brothers. There's a definite flavour of health, wellness and wellbeing throughout the episodes, but that doesn't come at the expense of it also being funny, informative and fascinating. And, who doesn't want to know what everyone else eats for breakfast?

Best politics podcast

Slow Burn

Following the success of the first series that examined the US Watergate scandal, narrator Leon Neyfakh returns to investigate the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton. Slow Burn digs deep into the events leading up to the impeachment hearings – the scandals and sordid whispers that hounded the future president early in his career, his affair with Monica Lewinsky – but also gets into the minds of those who followed, wrote about and analysed the story at the time and, crucially, considers whether our attitudes and perspectives have changed in the post #metoo era.

The Guilty Feminist

Essential listening for any feminists who finds themselves using the phrase “I’m a feminist, but…”, the show actually starts with a segment in which host Deborah Frances-White and her guests finish that sentence to generally hilarious effect. In turn funny, moving, motivating and eye-opening, the podcast (and the live shows from which it is recorded each week) has created a community of feminists for whom no topic is out of bounds and where judgment is off the table. Essentially, it’s honest, which is surely the only way to ensure the movement continues to progress.

About Race with Renni Eddo-Lodge

Author Renni Eddo-Lodge invites us to continue the conversation she started with her bestselling 2017 book, Why I’m no Longer Talking to White People About Race, with her excellent podcast series featuring leading anti-racist activists from the past decade.

Best money podcasts

The 2 Cents Podcast

If the thought of checking your bank balance fills you with a deep dread, new weekly show The 2 Cents Podcast could be for you. Hosted by three twentysomething friends who found themselves fed up of how hush-hush the topic of money is among millennial women, it offers refreshingly honest advice on everything from how to financially plan for wedding season to asking for a pay rise – all in a witty, non-intimidating style.

Best fashion podcasts

Bande à Part

A recorded phone conversation between esteemed fashion historians Beatrice Behlen and Rebecca Arnold, Bande à Part takes anything from resort collections to French New Wave to Edwardian court dress as subjects and runs with them. Well-informed but approachable, it will leave you armed with a satisfying amount of fact and reference points worth days of googling.

Best football podcasts

The Offside Rule

The antidote to boorish radio phone-ins, The Offside Rule focuses on interviews, long-form content and a refreshing all-female analysis of football by broadcasters Kait Borsay, Lynsey Hooper and Hayley McQueen. It’s also broad-minded in the stories it covers, too, so rather than limit itself to the Premier League like so much mainstream media, it tackles both men’s and women’s football from different leagues around the globe. The beautiful game, but much less ugly.

Best story podcasts

You Must Remember This

Former LA Weekly film critic Karina Longworth delves into the secret and often forgotten history of Hollywood’s first century. Tales twist and turn to unfold the smoke and mirrors approach that frequently obscured Hollywood’s golden era stars. From the scandalous insight into Joan Crawford’s feuds, Isabella Rosselini in the '90s to the 12-part sub series on Charles Manson’s Hollywood killings – the stories are as compelling as they are terrifying, making this the ultimate road-trip podcast to get your entire car hooked.

This American Life

For anyone new to podcasts, the Peabody Award-winning This American Life is the perfect start as it’s such a great use of the medium. An hour-long show presented by Ira Glass in collaboration with Chicago Public Radio, each week it brings you a variety of stories on a specific theme, ranging from comedy to politics to everyday human stories. It’s informative, intelligent and thought-provoking radio journalism, and it equips you with no end of trivia to bring up in dull conversations. Plus, Glass’s voice becomes as comforting as that of an old friend.

Teacher’s Pet

For anyone with a compulsive inclination towards murderous podcasts, Teacher’s Pet is a particularly good one as the case is unfolding in real time. The horrifying story of a husband whose wife disappeared just in time for his 16-year-old student lover to move into the family home, it is incredibly compelling – new evidence is coming to light week by week as people contact the narrator with witness testimonies – and continues the recent Australian tradition of particularly good criminal podcasts.

Best sustainability podcasts

Costing The Earth

For anyone looking to stay informed about the environment, this knowledge-filled podcast discusses the newest ideas surrounding sustainability – from fast fashion, plastic oceans and fertility to the environment after Brexit.

Social and environmental innovators discuss big ideas, with stories of philanthropy and social entrepreneurship, plant based manufacturing, ethical fashion and public relations for social impact brands.

Low Tox Life

Low Tox Life is a response to the lack of transparency in our food system, and with personal care and cleaning products. Episodes explore natural beauty, sleep, eco-conscious parenting and many more green-themed topics.

Greenpeace Podcast

Bringing you stories for environmental justice, these sessions educate listeners about climate change, fracking and ocean mining, as well as giving tips on organic gardening, living a car-free life, greenwashing and eco-conscious household shopping.

Conscious Chatter

Looking at the bigger picture of clothing and the fashion industry, learn about the landscape and journey of a garment and the potential impacts connected to what we wear.

Doing Good Through Food

Hosted by Alex Coffin, this podcast focuses on how the food industry can be a force of good in the world. Advice spans from how to tackle food waste to how to embed social values at the heart of your food business.