The Lexie podcast is the perfect balance of good old fun, silly girl chat and deep thinking. The perfect it-feels-like-my-best-friend when hanging up laundry or commuting to work listen. But it goes beyond that. Lexie looks at topics with an intelligent yet familiar lens. The episodes covering presenter Lexie Lombard’s mother’s death are particularly poignant and intimate. Her tone throughout is fun and joyous, covering hilarious situations she has been in, but is also incredibly sincere and down to earth, especially when addressing such heavy topics as life and death.

Zoë Daniel, Social Media Assistant

Don’t get me wrong, I love a newsy podcast, but sometimes you need an antidote to the permacrisis. Hosted by comedians Stevie Martin and Tessa Coates, each episode is one step closer to feeling more like a functioning adult, ranging from ‘How To Make January Less Sh*t’ to ‘How To Drink More Water’. It’s funny no matter the topic, and if you ever see me holding in embarrassing laughs-out-loud on public transport, I guarantee Nobody Panic will be the culprit.

Holly Bullock, Editorial Assistant

In the wildest of years (and it’s fair to say 2022 had stiff competition) I’ve leant heavily on The News Agents, the new podcast from former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis (sidenote: listen to her MacTaggart lecture for a rousing lesson in the dangers of populism), Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall. The daily show analyses current politics (the Boris/Liz/Rishi takeover gave a lot of material) and news in an unbiased, informative and lively way – their recent episode about the pressures on the NHS including an interview with a doctor detailing how tough it is in A&E will stay with me for a long time.

Helen Bownass, Entertainment Director

Fed Up is the absolutely wild podcast about fibre, of all things. It takes you to NYC, Paris and Monaco, following how a fibre influencer went down a slippery road, threatening other influencers and conning her way to millions. You’ll never look at fibre in the same way again!

Miranda Larbi, Strong Women Editor

This incredible podcast from Wondery explores the circumstances surrounding the death of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was assassinated in 2017. Hosted by investigative reporter Stephen Grey and featuring the voices of Daphne’s sons Matthew and Paul, the series follows a team of investigative journalists as they try to uncover who was behind the plot to end Daphne’s life.

Lauren Geall, Digital Writer

I like to listen to news on the move – it helps to break up my commute and make my daily walk pass much more quickly. This podcast, hosted by political well-knowns Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, is easy-listening for non-easy topics. They debate, agree, disagree and tell enviable stories about interactions with presidents and iconic historic figures. One for both sides of the political divide, I find it balanced, intelligent and always up to date.

Morgan Fargo, Beauty Editor

Normal Gossip delivers juicy, strange, funny and utterly banal gossip about people you’ll never know and never meet. Host Kelsey McKinney discusses reader-submitted comedic gossip with guests, diving into the lives and decisions of complete strangers – and it’s utterly addictive listening. From orchid-dealing scammers to organic knitting group dramas, fandom fallouts to wild girls’ holiday stories, you literally never know what might come next.

Amy Beecham, Digital Writer

I am a big reality TV fan, and have always been fascinated by what it says about society – and the snobbery it’s often greeted with. But I’m also deeply aware that some of it is very problematic and damaging, so this 10-part series by fellow reality fans, Sirin Kale and Pandora Sykes, could have been made just for me. The pair look at the biggest shows in the genre from Big Brother to Real Housewives and Love Island and explore the highs and lows of the genre, in an incredibly well researched and fascinating way.

Helen Bownass, Entertainment Director

The Dream takes you on a deep-dive into the murky yet fascinating world of MLMs. We all know someone who’s worked for Herbalife and makes out that it’s great, but this pod blows the covers on how women (barely) make a living from these schemes – and explores why it is almost always women who fall for them. It interviews MLMers, the people who own them and the people who have survived them. Put simply: it’s brilliant.

Miranda Larbi, Strong Women Editor

If you only have two minutes to spare each day, then you need to start listening to BirdNote Daily. Easily the cosiest podcast in existence, each bite-sized episode blends the rich sound of birdsong with an amazing fact or story about (you guessed it) birds. Prepare to find out why, say, a duck’s feet won’t freeze when standing in icy cold water. Or why geese will always fly in a V formation. Or how to tell the difference between a raven and a crow. Not only will BirdNote Daily give you momentary respite from the 24/7 news cycle, but it will give you plenty of fun facts to regale everyone with too. Plus, you know, it’s the perfect way to time yourself when you’re brushing your teeth…

Kayleigh Dray, Digital Editor At Large

I don’t have a big sister, but if I did, I’d imagine her to be the living embodiment of this podcast. It’s both comforting and hilarious to hear Pat and Cat dish the dirt on living, laughing and loving in such an honest and fun way. It can get a bit NSFW though, so make sure your headphones are always connected.

Amy Beecham, Digital Writer