Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’re well and that the month of June has been kind to you. June 25th means that Christmas Day is, unbelievably, only six months away. Yes, I'm already excited.
Halfway through this month, I started a new job. What a relief it is to tell you all that I enjoy it and that I’m much happier. I’m feeling a lot more fulfilled, too; believing that your hard work is paying off is an indescribably great feeling, especially when you haven’t felt that way in months. My new role is completely remote; the only travelling I’m expected to do is venture to Reading once a month. It’s a little lonely, though the fact I talk to my colleagues over Teams as much as I do helps. My motivation to write is stronger than ever, too.
I wanted to write a post on the podcasts I’ve been listening to and loving recently. I’m a massive podcast listener, so much so that I accumulated nearly 10,000 listening minutes for podcasts alone on Spotify last year. This was partly down to my work commute and also the fact I listen to them when I can’t sleep at night. I last wrote about podcasts about a year ago and I figured it was time for an update.
People, Just People
I came to the realisation recently that I’ve had a crush on Dermot O’Leary for years; I fell head over heels in love with him on The X Factor. If you ever find yourself watching old X Factor auditions for some quick entertainment, watch out for the down-to-earth, respectful presenter who comforts the rejected contestants and their families. They should give Dermot an NTA for his patience alone.
Anyway, Dermot has a podcast called People, Just People which is available exclusively on Audible. His guests aren’t necessarily his best friends though they’re not strangers either; having worked for ITV, he’s had corridor conversations with nearly all of them. Niall Horan has an episode in the series and Dermot has known him since the moment he first auditioned.
The format is similar to Dermot’s Radio 2 chats with live guests, minus the musical interruptions. He’s just as gentle with his guests as he is with the worst X Factor auditioners.
Pod Meets World
Around the time Girl Meets World began airing in the UK, I was revising for my GCSE’s. I caught the odd episode and fell in love with Sabrina Carpenter’s music; I remember listening to the Eyes Wide Open album on repeat during my family holiday that summer. Disney Channel aired Boy Meets World to prepare the audience for the spin-off and I watched the whole series.
I mentioned Welcome to the O.C, Bitches in my first podcast post and in the last few weeks, the wish I made for Ben McKenzie to appear on the pod came true. Granted, it was the final episode, but he seemed very apologetic about it. Better late than never. I think rewatch podcasts are brilliant; you can never experience the anticipation and thrill of reading a book or watching a series or film for the first time, but listening to a commentary from those close to the source material comes very close to reliving it. This attitude is why I don’t mind the live-action Disney reboots (though Pinnochio was dreadful).
Pod Meets World features Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle discussing episodes of Boy Meets World, frequently delving into their personal memories from filming as well as their opinions regarding their character’s decisions. They have guests from other American sitcoms of the time as well, many of which I’ve watched despite growing up in an entirely different era; I love Full House, and Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber have both made appearances on the pod.
Diary of a CEO
This isn’t exactly an original recommendation, is it? Everyone and their mother has listened to Steven Bartlett’s podcast because it’s brilliant. Steven definitely gets points for the variety of guests on his show, he’s had people from every walk of life; Piers Morgan to Cole Sprouse to Joe Sugg to Liam Payne, who at the time came across as extremely vulnerable and human.
Similarly to Dermot, Steven’s guests are always at ease; many of them reveal their most hidden truths and greatest secrets. The conversations are raw and run smoothly with little to no interruptions, the Roman Kemp episode being a perfect example, in which the Capital Breakfast host detailed how his relationship with his parents saved him after the death of his friend. At times, the podcast feels as though you’re listening in on a private conversation. I think that demonstrates how emotionally deep the episodes have the capacity to be.
The Penguin Podcast
Unbelievably, I only began listening to this recently. My family and I love the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films and, whilst my mum was away, I re-watched the first film with my dad. I haven’t touched the books since I was ten and after googling what Jeff Kinney was up to, I found an episode he recorded for the podcast with Konnie Huq.
If you’ve seen the Actors on Actors videos from Variety magazine, The Penguin Podcast is similar - for books, not screen. For those of you aspiring to be authors, this podcast is fantastic; I have yet to listen to a series more academically stimulating. If I’m in a writing slump, I play an episode to pull me out. Even if I’m not familiar with the writer’s works, it’s always helpful to learn of their tips and how they find inspiration.
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd
If you’re looking for a more comedic version of Diary of a CEO then I’d recommend this. Dax Shepherd’s conversations succeed in being both hilarious and insightful; the man is first and foremost a comedian. I’ve never actually seen any of his films but I have watched a lot of his wife's filmography; Kristen Bell is a total joy.
Dax succeeds in making his guests feel totally relaxed and in turn, the guests are always extremely transparent in their storytelling. In one of the earlier episodes, Dax mentions wanting his guests to feel as though they've experienced an 'AA meeting without having to become drunk'; you don't notice the prepared questions because the conversation runs so smoothly. Furthermore, Dax touches on his own experience with alcoholism throughout the series - there's no power imbalance between himself and his guests, who aren't unloading their demons onto him in an attempt to heal. Trauma is practically swapped over and investigated in every episode between Dax and his guests. It's a perfect series if you're looking for a combination of head and heart.
Thank you for reading! I hope you're all well.
July 1st marks an ENTIRE YEAR of Train of Thought! I can't believe my baby is turning one. I'll be back on Saturday with an anniversary post.
Have a great week! Sending you so much love,
Karisma
xxxx