From deep chats with beloved personalities to laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful storytelling, these brilliant podcasts cover it all. Expect interviews with actors, writers and cultural favourites, plenty of pop culture fun, practical advice, the occasional bizarre dilemma and even a bit of light funeral planning. Whether you’re curious, in need of comfort or just killing time, there’s something here for every kind of listener.
The Louis Theroux Podcast
Join Louis Theroux as he dives into conversations with a line-up of fascinating guests. Best known as the king of documentaries, Theroux is a British-American filmmaker, journalist and writer celebrated for his immersive explorations of subcultures and controversial topics, as well as the weirder corners of humanity.
His signature style? A gentle, curious approach that somehow gets people to open up, often via Theroux pretending not to know much at all. We love how genuinely interested he seems, creating a kind of safe space wherever he goes. Past guests of the podcast include everyone from artist Tracey Emin to comedian and talk-show host Trevor Noah to scandal-plagued actor Armie Hammer.
This season, Theroux sits down with cockney geezer Danny Dyer: award-winning actor, former soap star and all-around national treasure. The pair chat candidly about Danny’s struggles with addiction and his belief in UFOs. In a particularly meta twist, Dyer also reflects on being dubbed “the people’s Louis Theroux” after fronting his own set of documentaries.
Also featured is Canadian actor Michael Cera, known for his soft-spoken style and offbeat charm. They cover his new film The Phoenician Scheme, his role as George Michael in cult TV hit Arrested Development and his impressively varied film career, which includes Superbad, Barbie and This Is the End, in which Cera plays a coke-fuelled version of himself.
Young Again with Kirsty Young
In this thoughtful podcast, Kirsty Young asks fascinating people what advice they would give their younger selves. Authors, artists, sportspeople, actors and filmmakers revisit the pivotal moments that shaped them, reflecting on success, struggle, and everything in between.
With her lilting Scottish accent (we’d honestly listen to her read directions on an envelope), Kirsty brings warmth, intelligence, and empathy to every interview. From 2006 to 2018, she was the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, and she brings the same depth and elegance to this series.
Guests include comedian Sara Pascoe, who talks candidly about her career, her family, and what she wishes she’d known about money and debt earlier in life. Also featured are writer Malcolm Gladwell and Paralympic legend Tanni Grey-Thompson.
A real standout episode is with Oscar and BAFTA winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, a compelling deep dive into where he came from and how he rose to such extraordinary heights. At just 18, Kaluuya was writing for the hit British series Skins, in which he also starred. He’s since gone on to star in critically acclaimed films like Get Out and Judas and the Black Messiah.
Alan Carr: Life’s a Beach
Ooooh, we love a travel podcast. It’s almost like actually travelling… almost. Hosted by beloved British comedian Alan Carr, who won us over with his iconic TV show Chatty Man, Life’s a Beach brings big laughs and even bigger holiday stories. Celebrity guests join Carr to unpack their personal suitcase of travel tales, from childhood holidays to their most decadent escapes.
Expect hilarious detours into airport mishaps and questionable souvenirs. Guests include everyone from Stephen Fry to British rock star Yungblud and comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri. Carr is as charming as ever, asking questions like: Where did you travel as a kid? What’s your best travel tip? Have you ever seen a celeb poolside? Funny, warm, and totally relatable, this is your perfect dose of inflight entertainment.
Wanging On with Graham and Maria
Popular talk show host and comedian Graham Norton teams up with his long-time friend, actress Maria McErlane, to offer what they call “average advice and so so solutions” to listeners’ everyday dilemmas. Think agony aunt column, but with more sarcasm and laughter.
The duo tackles all sorts of questions, from “My wife of 30 years suddenly smells, how do I tell her?” to “Do I really have to invite my weird conspiracy theorist friends to my 60th?” One standout moment involves a debate over whether it is socially acceptable to carry one shop’s bags into another, like taking a Woolworths bag into Checkers. (Obviously it is, and they proceed to rip into the person asking.) Judgement, snobbery and brutal honesty all feature, though they are the first to remind us they are absolutely not experts.
The show wraps with the segment Am I Weird? for which listeners send in their quirks for public judgement. One memorably creepy listener admits to taking keepsakes from one-night stands and simply asks, “Am I weird?” The answer, naturally, is a resounding YES.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake
Hosted by the infectiously warm and endlessly funny Mel Giedroyc (actress, comedian and presenter, and someone we desperately wish was our mate) this podcast explores death and dying in a way that’s surprisingly joyful. Giedroyc chats with a rotating cast of famous guests about how they’d like their final send-off to go, from their ideal way to die to their eulogy, last words and even who gets what in their will.
Previously hosted by Kathy Burke, the show features household names such as Dawn French, James Acaster and Jamali Maddix reflecting on mortality with a mix of humour, honesty and surprisingly touching moments.
A standout episode features comedy royalty and Monty Python legend Eric Idle, who shares his take on the afterlife and his funeral playlist. Fittingly, Idle co-wrote Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, a song that apparently remains one of the most requested at UK funerals.
Sign up to Currency’s weekly newsletters to receive your own bulletin of weekday news and weekend treats. Register here.
