Glorious Podcasts
Podcasts have transformed the daily grind into an altogether more bearable experience. Providing some much-needed escapism from the daily commute and bringing moments of joy to otherwise mundane household chores, podcasts have steadily become a necessity in my life!
Walking the dog? Podcast. Long drive? Podcast. Pretending to look busy at my desk? Podcast.
In fact, it’s more rare to find me without a podcast playing in the background. Because of this, i’ve been tasked to list my top pod recommendations that I think most inquisitive Glorious women will like.
Agree/ disagree/ have a recommendation? Let me know over on social: @glorioussport!
1. You’re Wrong About
Sarah is a journalist obsessed with the past. Every week she reconsiders a person or event that’s been miscast in the public imagination.
I sometimes miss the old format (there was a second presenter), but still love it. Funny, articulate and deffo worth a listen.
Notable Episodes: Wayfair/ Human Trafficking, Terri Schiavo, Tonya Harding, OJ Simpson, Anna Nicole Smith, DC Snipers.
2. 30 For 30: Pink Card
In Iran, women are banned from soccer stadiums. But some dare to defy that. Pink Card tells a story of Iranian women fighting for their rights across three generations. They use ingenious tactics and risk their lives to take back their stadiums and their joy in the game.
Annoying to find- it’s part of 30 For 30 Podcasts by ESPN, to listen go to 30 For 30, scroll down to 2022 and you should find it.
3. Tortoise Investigates: Walters War
Real life Tinder nightmare.
Meet a nice young diplomat, not all is as it seems. Bizarre, fascinating, can’t wait to see what happens next.
Series 8 ‘Dr Anti-Vax’ is also well worth a listen, it charts the disturbing fall and rise of Dr Andrew Wakefield.
4. Reply-All
An oldie, but a goldie.
Sadly no longer with us, but I still find episodes I haven’t listened to (100’s of eps) and they’re still SO relevant. A podcast featuring stories about how people shape the internet, and how the internet shapes people.
Notable Episodes: #172 & #173 Bon Appetit Test Kitchen Drama, #158 The Case of the Missing Hit, #102 & #103 Long Distance, #56 Zardulu
5. Search Engine
Staying in the same realm as no.2
Who should be in charge of AI?
Why don’t we eat people?
From the people who bought us Reply All comes Search Engine.
Each week they strive to answer the kind of questions you can find us Googling at 3am.
6. The Retrievals
The true story surrounding a group of women who checked into a prestigious hospital for the egg retrieval process.
Big trigger warning as it’s super upsetting at times.
Discusses how women’s pain is so often ignored and overlooked.
7. ‘Ologies With Alie Ward
Volcanoes, slug sex, beer science, bee drama… Science correspondent Alie meets a different ‘-ologist’ each week to discuss their specialist topic and find out what fuels their professional obsession. Can be a bit hit or miss depending on the ‘-ologist’ that’s on, but generally fascinating accessible science.
8. Sports Wars
Sports rivalries can fuel fans and athletes to fight and argue for years. But what’s the real story behind these epic battles? Sports Wars is from the people who bought us Business Wars (you must listen to Nike vs adidas)
Each season they look as an incredible sporty rivalry, from to Tyson vs Holyfield to Serena vs Venus. Keep hearing rumours of it being cancelled. Sincerely hope not.
9. 99% Invisible
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing.
Introduces fascinating concepts that you’ve never thought about. Wish they did a few more ‘Euro-centric’ eps.
Notable Episodes: #524 Chinatown Punk Wars, #432 Batman and the Bridge Builder, #308 Curb Cuts, #124 Longbox
10. No Such Thing As A Fish
Funny, bizarre, real facts from the writers of QI who discuss the best things they’ve found out this week. Great if you like pub quizzes and somewhat useless information… I do, so I enjoy surprising people with random facts.
11. Scam Goddess
Who doesn’t love a good scam (when you’re not on the receiving end)?!
In this weekly series, co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi unpack epic stories of deception and some truly have to be heard to be believed.
If you like this, you’ll also love Scam Goddess with the hilarious Laci Mosley.
Notable Episodes: #1 Ballet’s Lethal Start-Up, #12 The Yoga Hustler, #18 The Book Bandit, #19 Gossip girls (3 parts), #29 There’s Something About Martin (Shkreli), #33 Fine Art Fugative, #81 George Santos.
12. Changes with Annie Macmanus
Each week Annie chats to a different guest (artists, writers, musicians etc) about the biggest changes they have overcome in childhood and adulthood, and how they effect change.
Great concept and some brilliant conversations (must listen to Chelsea Manning ep & Safiya Sinclair ep)
13. This American Life
Another classic and this one’s the real deal.
Each week’s show has a theme, explored in several ‘acts.’ These themes cover EVERYTHING.
Many of the stories will stay with me for years and this podcast frequently makes me cry and laugh out loud in the same hour. 1000s of episodes (you may have to hunt for some.)
Notable Episodes: #199 The House on Loon Lake, #492 Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde, #513 29 Cars, #572 Transformers, #640 Five Women
14. Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
When nerdy gamer Sam Bankman-Fried rocketed to fame as the world’s richest 29-year-old, he pledged to donate his billions to good causes.
We all know the name, we all vaguely know the story, this podcast goes deep into collapse of SVB and the tangled web of SBF’s massive fraud.
15. Zoe Science & Nutrition
Top scientists discuss and explain the latest health, nutrition and gut health research.
Informative and not preachy. Sometimes a bit long, but I pick and choose which eps I listen to.
16. Live and Die in LA
In 2018 an aspiring actress vanishes from her Hollywood apartment. Rolling Stone journalist Neil Strauss was asked to help the family get answers. Together, they found them (sometimes at great personal risk.) Brilliant true story hosted by Neil (yes, the same man who wrote ‘The Game’- but don’t let this put you off!) It’s older but still holds up, both series are great (he’s done two), but prefer series one.
17. Against the Odds
Humans are resilient. In our toughest moments, we will fight, we will struggle, and we will triumph…often against the odds.
Captured by Somali pirates. Stuck in the Sahara. There are 100’s of stories.
Once full on sobbed to a concerned-looking tube carriage listening to an episode about the Thai football team cave rescue (v. good!)
18. Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy
Each episode American former soccer player Julie Foudy sits down with a female trailblazer from the world of sport and has a candid convo. Loved #111 with Billie Jean King and #87 with journalist Meg Linehan who discusses her findings surrounding sexual misconduct in women’s soccer.
19. Death In The Afternoon
I get it, not everyone wants to listen to a podcast about what happens once you die, BUT this one, hosted by famed ‘Ask a Mortician’ YouTuber Caitlin Doughty and fellow morticians has really made me less terrified to think about my own mortality. Each week they dispel myths about death and dead bodies, dive into history and dark tales you’ve never heard before and feature people working to change the future of death care. Dare I say it, this podcast is oddly uplifting…
20. Gay Girl Gone
Of all the young revolutionaries in Syria during the Arab Spring, Amina is different. An out lesbian in a country where homosexuality is illegal, she bravely documents her life on the blog Gay Girl in Damascus. Her candid posts attract readers from around the world, and soon she has a wide, ardent following. But then a post appears saying Amina has been abducted. Her fans mobilise, desperate to track down and save their fearless heroine. What they find shocks them. Currently hooked, can’t wait for next episode.
What have I missed?
What do you recommend?
Let me know- DM @glorioussport or email me, natasha@glorioussport.com
Happy listening!
Natasha X