TOP 10 PODCASTS

‘Blanguage’: Co-hosts, Janelle and Daniel are best friends and Black Londoners who discuss music and Black British culture. They’re fun to listen to because of their friendship, and their black British perspective is much needed in the podcast landscape.

‘The Bugle’: ‘The Bugle’ was created 10 years ago, and was originally hosted by Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver. John Oliver left ‘The Bugle’ in 2016 with the success of HBO satire show ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’. Since its relaunch in 2016, ‘The Bugle’ has remained one of the most essential political satire podcasts, still hosted by Zaltzman with a rotating set of co-hosts. It’s hilarious, and frequent co-hosts include Nish Kumar, Hari Kondabolu and Alice Fraser.

‘Code Switch’: Another NPR podcast is ‘Code Switch’ co-hosted by Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji. It’s a podcast on race, and ways of navigating race. And although it’s focused on America, it’s often relatable and applicable in other countries. Typical of NPR, the production quality is incredible, and the level of reporting and research is outstanding.

‘The Friend Zone’: ‘The Friend Zone’ is made great by the close friendships of the co-hosts. Fran, Dustin, and Assante, discuss their personal lives and wellbeing, and give great advice to help you get through the week.

‘If I Were You’: ‘If I were You’ is co-hosted by comedy duo, Jake and Amir, who played comedic versions of themselves in a long running series on web comedy YouTube channel ‘College Humor’. The pair humorously answer listener questions often asking for relationship advice and the banter is always hilarious. There are catchphrases, running jokes and off-kilter humour. It’s seriously funny stuff.

‘Mostly Lit’: ‘Mostly Lit’ is black Londoners: Alex Reads, Rai and Derek Owusu who discuss literature, pop culture, and wellness. They make talking about books interesting and have encouraged me to read a lot more; and they always have the best recommendations. I love their banter, friendship, and their black-British perspectives.

‘The Nod’: After ending their podcast, ‘For Colored Nerds’, co-hosts Eric and Brittany started ‘The Nod’, a podcast about all things black. They discuss things about being black that are not so obvious. It always makes for an interesting listen.

‘Pop Culture Happy Hour’: NPR’s ‘Pop Culture Happy Hour’ is a long-term favourite of mine as someone who really enjoys all things pop culture. Linda Holmes hosts with a panel of guests which often includes Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon. This year they’ve released some shorter episodes on a more regular schedule. It’s recommended listening for anyone interested in pop culture.

‘Still Processing’: The hosts of ‘Still Processing’ describe their podcast in their intro so I’ll just paraphrase that. Wesley Morris writes about how pop culture relates to humans and Jenna Wortham writes about how humans relate to technology. It’s always interesting to hear their perspectives on current affairs.

‘Tag Me in Podcast’: Based in Bristol, Anton, and Ola are another pair of black Londoners who bring more black British voices to podcasting. They discuss and give good advice on their personal and professional lives.