It's safe to say we could all do with a few more laughs at the moment. As England continues its second lockdown for the next month, with the possibility that it could be extended towards Christmas or even into 2021, podcasts have kept me going whether I'm working from home, chilling with a cup of tea in the evenings or cooking.
There is a huge range of podcasts out there for whatever you're into, but my personal preference is comedy and a bit of silliness. I enjoy a chattier, not too structured podcast that doesn't tread too far into serious topics as I tend to be doing mindless tasks when I listen to them like tidying my room or doing the washing up.
I'm a huge fan of British comedy as you'll very quickly be able to tell, and to me the guest and the hosts make all the difference. While I love US comedy in TV series and films, I don't find the charm of American guests doesn't translate as well into audio although there are of course exceptions to this. These are my top three podcast recommendations as well as some of my favourite episodes, perfect for providing a much-needed laugh and respite from everything else going on in the world right now.
Launched last year by comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster, I came across this podcast early on and I very quickly became obsessed. The series recently reached its 80th episode and often sits at the top of the iTunes podcast charts, and you'll notice that the quality of British guests they manage to interview these days has grown hugely compared to early episodes so it has clearly became a favourite for many.
To say that I've laughed my bloody head off to some of their episodes would be a huge understatement. When they speak to an amazing guest, their episodes are incredibly fun, silly and filled with chat about food. Being a huge foodie their podcast is often a surprising insight into other people's weird and wonderful food habits, useful for great restaurants recommendations in London and a great escape from routine.
One thing I would say, as the series has been going on for a while now is that sometimes, the more high-profile guests don't tend to bring as much personality or laughs as you might hope and at times I was left disappointed. I also found some of their American guests less engaging so I tend to steer clear of these episodes.
Scroll straight to: Romesh Ranganathan, Roisin Conaty, Joe Thomas, Daisy May Cooper, Jordan Banjo, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Phil Wang
Source: No Context Off Menu
Born during the pandemic, comedians Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe launched a podcast about the challenges of parenting as they navigated lockdown situations and Covid-19's disruptions to life with their children. Speaking to an amazing range of British celebrities, TV personalities and actors throughout, it is a highly soothing listen as someone without children, but I imagine just as comforting for families desperately trying to keep kids happy, educated, clothed and fed on top of everything else.
As someone with not much of a maternal instinct, this show has surprised me as some of my favourite episodes have left me crying with laughter as guests talk about some of the challenges but also nicest bits of lockdown such as being able to spend more time with them, especially comedians who are often travelling around the country a lot.
As I'm living at home with my parents again (you can read more about this in my recent post here), I can relate to a lot of the general gripes that families experience. I also love hearing the emails and messages other parents send in as I'm rather nosy.
Scroll straight to: Peter Crouch, Ivo Graham, Jen Brister, Elis James, Jack Dee, Isy Suttie, Alex Horne
Launched at the beginning of the year, this one is a must-listen if you enjoy writing or if you're nosy and want to hear someone's writing before they got famous or successful. It is presented by comedian Rhys James, and during the show he speaks to guests about what their childhood were like growing up, what got them into writing and lifts the lid on some of their earliest writing work.
The work is often surprisingly good despite the early age that they were written, but most of it is bloody hilarious and sometimes incredibly precocious. As I mentioned earlier with the Off Menu podcast, I found that I enjoy the episodes with American guests a lot less, and I think this is because generally they are less embarrassed whereas the Brits have embarrassment running through their veins so the humility as they read their writing out is much funnier.
I also love with some guests that you can hear that person's writing style or personality coming through at such an early age. Hearing Rhys' embarrassment reading his many poems each week is always a highlight too.
Scroll straight to: Charly Cox, Glenn Moore, Doc Brown, Mark Watson, Tom Rosenthal, Rose Matafeo
Source: Rhys James
What are your favourite podcasts making you laugh right now? Let me know!
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