Podcast newbie

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

Would love a range to listen to
Mix of fun or factual
Tips to get started

Hi - by no means an expert, but I suggest trying out a podcast platform (Stitcher, A-cast, castbox ..) to see which one suits. Good ones have constant suggestions of new things you might like/popular ones plus back episodes of long-running series. Don't forget BBC sounds either.
I now swear by listening at 1.2 to 1.5 speed as it gets me through things quicker. I manage about an hour's listen most days as I run, drive, cook, shop, wake up too early, so I switch between big Bluetooth speaker, proper headphones, airpod type wireless things - quite a selection now!
There are a threads here you can read on top choices, classics (like Serial which is the first one I listened to ) and best in genre true crime, politics, storytelling, history, economics, science..... Any topic, there will be something! Plenty of celebs, politicians and personalities do their own podcasts now, so if that may be somewhere to start too.

Off Menu - Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Series 3 starts tomorrow. Really funny. Celeb invited into the Dream Restaurant and asked to talk about their favourite starter, drink, main course, side and dessert.

The Kitchen Cabinet - Jay Rayner. Sort of like Gardeners' Question time, but about food/cooking

Out to Lunch - also Jay Rayner. He takes a celeb out to lunch and they just chat.

If you're into films, Kermode & Mayo's film review, every Friday. A longer podcast (around 2 hours) as it's based on their weekly Radio 5 show. I'm not a movie buff, but really enjoy the banter between the two of them.

Ooh I have such a backlog of podcasts because I subscribe to too many

These are the ones I listen to but obviously you may not be interested in any of them!

BBC Documentary type ones like The Inquiry, Analysis and Seriously are good. I tend to only listen to the ones on subjects that interest me so don't listen to them all by any stretch but they are good. I do the same for the Guardian Long Reads which are audio versions of some of their long read articles. These all have a really wide range of subjects so if you like factual stuff it's worth a browse through. I subscribe and just delete ones I'm not interested in.

No such thing as a fish is quite funny. It's a bit QI-esque (the people on it work on QI) but it's not a quiz.
I personally think My Dad Wrote A Porno is hilarious, particularly the first couple of series. But it's not for anyone who doesn't like fairly strong swearing and as the title probably suggests, it's fairly explicit (but in a light hearted funny way).

I'm interested in politics so listen to Brexitcast (now called newscast I believe). Depending on your political leaning these may not interest you but I also listen to the new statesman politics podcast and the guardian politics podcast. The Daily is a daily (obviously) podcast from the New York Times focusing mainly on American news which again may not interest but I quite like it - particularly when they do an episode focusing on anything British (election, brexit etc) as I find the outsider perspective interesting.

I also listen to the woman's hour podcast and the archers.

Off Menu - Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Series 3 starts tomorrow
I love James Acaster! I'm going to have to immediately add series 1 and 2 to my backlog of podcasts.

Podcasts that I love, I tend to pick and choose which ones to listen to depending if I like the guests!

Conversations of Inspiration - Holly Tucker speaks to business entrepreneurs, it's really inspiring, I loved listening to the one with the guys who opened the Cereal Killer Cafe.

Happy Mum, Happy Baby - Giovanna Fletcher talks to celebs about birth & parenthood.

Table Manners - Jessie Ware & her mum chat to celebs around dinner

Distraction Pieces - Scroobius Pip interviews a range of people, some really interesting ones, worth scrolling through older ones to find someone you're interested in, I loved the one with Carla Valentine about autopsies etc.

Work Like A Woman - Mary Portas

George Ezra & Friends - if you're into music

The Guilty Feminist
Hidden brain (social psychology)
Throughline (history)
This American Life
Serial (crime)
S-town (sort of mystery, compelling listening)
Fred and Rose West the unheard tapes. I dont normally enjoy true crime but Im from Gloucester and was 12 when the first body was found. It filled in a lot of gaps in a calm, rational manner.

Tips: listen to a couple of episodes before you subscribe to get the feel.

Hi, I know I would say this - but I have launched the Trying Again Podcast today. A podcast that is exploring the world of miscarriage. Episode 1 and 2 are available today to download with episodes being released weekly.