Five new podcasts that will blow your mind

If you’re anything like us, you’ll be perpetually on the lookout for a new investigative podcast to get addicted to. Something with the twists and turns of ‘Sweet Bobby’ and the drama of ‘The Missing Cryptoqueen’. Well? It’s here. The BBC’s ‘The Missing Madonna’ is the racy true crime story of a stolen Leonardo da Vinci painting, expertly hosted by Olivia Graham, who turns out to have a very personal stake. It’s a classic whodunnit without the murder, with plenty of laughs (and twists) along the way.

Sometimes a podcast is simply the best way to tell an important story. ‘The Retrievals’, which investigates the true crime case of a nurse who stole fentanyl from women undergoing IVF treatment, is a perfect example. Through interviews with the survivors, the five-part podcast by Serial Productions and the New York Times has an often dark but incredibly gripping narrative. It takes a cold, hard look at women’s stories against the backdrop of women’s treatment in healthcare. 

From ‘Off Menu’ to ‘Table Manners’, foodie podcasts have a tried-and-tested formula. But ‘Stirring It Up’ is perhaps the most intimate yet, hosted by mother-daughter duo Andi and Miquita Oliver in their family home. In each episode, the pair have a celebrity guest and one of their pals over for dinner (Lily Allen’s ep is a highlight), talking candidly about their lives to the sounds of Miquita’s cooking. The setup allows for genuinely candid, funny conversations, and you’ll probably find yourself wishing you’d got an invite. 

You don’t need to be a die-hard hip-hop fan to love ‘Class of 88’, but if you are, you’re in for a treat. Presented by Will Smith, this limited series music podcast looks back at 1988, the year hip hop established itself as what became, in Smith’s words, ‘the genre of all genres’. ‘Class of 88’ is fun, punchy and full of 80s nostalgia, and is brought to life by a series of star-studded guests, from Queen Latifah to Public Enemy, who all have a great laugh looking back at the genre’s defining year. 

Politics doesn’t have to be boring – especially when comedians are the ones talking about it. ‘Pod Save the UK’ is a weekly snapshot of the biggest stories in politics (we’re use that term very broadly here), expertly hosted by Nish Kumar and Coco Khan. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it was born out of 2017’s ‘Pod Save America’, which launched when Donald Trump was elected. The hosts flick seamlessly between hard news and silliness in snappy hour-long episodes. Ditch your Monday morning newspaper: this is much more fun. 

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