The 65 best podcasts to listen to in 2024

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve laughed out loud listening to ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!’ in public. Originally airing as a radio show by Scott Auckerman in 2009, the comedy podcast features a rotating lineup of comedians, regulars include Paul F. Tompkins and Jason Mantzoukas, who impersonate celebrities or improvise a character for the entirety of the show. Fictionalised characters have included Alimony Tony who loves getting married (but loves paying alimony even more) and Joey Tortellini (played by Thomas Middleditch) who works as a Vegas DJ – and a pediatrician. The show gets more unhinged by the minute, and you can’t help but go along for the ride. 

There are no slow starts here: ‘Wrongly Accused’ grips you immediately. This podcast tells the story Annette Hewins, who was wrongly charged with triple murder after a horrendous house fire in Wales, UK kills a mother and her two young daughters. Annette was eventually released from prison after three years, but suffers the after effects every day. Episodes speak to various people connected to the case, from the first fireman on the scene to Annette’s daughter Nicole, to investigate how such an injustice could take place. 

Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes are an unlikely trio of quick-witted interviewers on this laidback comedy talk show that’s as funny as it is insightful. The three friends – all accomplished actors in their own right – take turns introducing a new ‘mystery guest’ each episode, giving their cohosts a moment to guess who’s calling in before diving into an hour of unscripted conversation, prescient questions and lighthearted quips with everyone from Larry David and Jake Gyllenhaal to Natalie Portman and three(!) US presidents. Smartless’s format is simple but rarely feels stale, thanks in no small part to the team’s fantastic chemistry.

You might have disregarded ‘Call Her Daddy’ as just another TikTok viral podcast, but at this point, there’s no denying its impact. Host Alex Cooper is a cheeky, unflinching, slick host who has now secured everyone from Miley Cyrus to Julia Fox. In the run up to the presidential election, Kamala Harris even appeared on the podcast, dropping the now-viral line: ‘There are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble.’ Sure, the questions will have been pre-agreed, and sure, some lines seem intentionally constructed to go viral on TikTok, but you won’t find a lot of duds in these episodes – each of them are quick, well-edited and a flat-out laugh. 

Podcasts can be about anything, but scam stories get a lot of podcast airtime. It makes sense – podcasts are the perfect medium for deep dives into twisted tales of deceit and manipulation. And if you love a good scam podcast, you’re in for a treat: launched in August 2024, ‘Scamtown’ is a new podcast on exactly that, but every week tells a brand-new story, from bomb threats to book robberies. Hosts James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte are excellent storytellers, and they crack many, many jokes along the way. 

This 12-parter explores the death of Henry Jemmott, a high-ranking Belizan police officer who was killed with his own gun by wealthy socialite Jasmine Hartin. His death and the fallout in its wake becomes the country’s biggest news story in a generation. Host Josh Dean explores the impact of colonialism and capitalism on the case as well as the involvement of Lord Andrew Ashcroft – the major Tory donor whose book featured that David Cameron pig story. ‘White Devil’ is a fascinating look at white privilege working against someone it should protect, and when justice gets skewed by money and power.

It’s said that happiness is a state of mind. But, uh, how exactly do we get into that state of mind? Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos is your guide for the Happiness Lab, a fascinating, scientifically backed podcast digging into what happiness means and how we can get closer to achieving it. Scroll through the many episodes to find something that resonates with you, like tips on working, taming stress, parenting, or friendship. We especially recommend going back to season two for its series on ‘Happiness Lessons of the Ancients.’ Happy listening!

Film buffs, roll the f*** up. A24 is a podcast from the production team who made Midsommar, Moonlight, Euphoria and more, and it’s every bit as glitzy, achingly cool and full of celebs as you’d hope it would be. A recent episode featured Emma Stone and Julio Torres, paired up off the back of stellar performances in A24 flicks Problemista and The Curse, who talked all things weird and wonderful (namely wrinkly passports and a teenage obsession with Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette). Writer-director Coppola herself appeared on an episode with Past Lives director Celine Song to discuss their career journeys to date and what genres they’d like to explore next (here’s hoping for a girl-gaze western or sci-fi). Essentially, if you’re even a little bit of a film nerd, you’re going to want to get this one on, stat. 

If you find yourself getting ridiculously invested in drama involving complete strangers, then Normal Gossip is the podcast for you. Each episode features host Kelsey McKinney and a special guest as they dive into an anonymous morsel of gossip submitted by listeners. Even though you don't know any of the people involved, you still feel the rush of hearing extremely juicy gossip as if they're close friends. (And it will not stop you from forming strong opinions of everyone involved!)

This is a dilemma based podcast, meaning the segment goes whether listeners lead it (yes, it can be a ride). Hosted by author and journalist Candice Brathwaite and online personality Coco Sarel, this pod will have you in hysterics one minute and rethinking every single one of your life decisions the next. But mostly you’ll feel part of the sisterhood you never knew you needed. We love these ladies.