Picks of the week
Derren Brown’s Bootcamp for Life
In his last podcast, Derren Brown looked at the physical way our minds work. “But now I want to switch attention to the software of the brain,” he claims in the intro to his latest series, which promises to help rid us of anxiety and make us happier over eight 30-minute episodes. That big claim aside, it’s a beautifully produced, soothing listen, full of illuminating interviews with expert talking heads.
Alexi Duggins
Twin Flames
Stephanie Beatriz hosts this podcast about YouTubers Jeff and Shaleia Ayan, who reckon they can show the path to eternal love. They’ll also throw in a beautiful home, car and lots of cash for good measure. All you need to do to get these riches is everything that they say. Dodgy cult or reasonable commitment? Beatriz investigates.
Hannah Verdier
The Secret History of Flight 149
It’s hard to believe that a BA flight en route to Malaysia stopped to refuel in Kuwait as Saddam Hussein invaded in 1990. The captain was repeatedly reassured it was safe to land, but as the plane sat on the runway it was surrounded by bombs and guns. What follows is utterly horrific and compelling. HV
Sport’s Strangest Crimes …
Alice Levine (pictured above right) is back to unpick another scandal (following Wondery’s hit British Scandal series). This time, it’s the six-episode story of “a conman who duped a football club with promises beyond their wildest dreams”. Starting from the moment Russell King seized control of Notts County FC, the tale wildly takes us to the communist dictatorship of North Korea. Hollie Richardson
The Catch: The Real Freshwater Five Story
Did a group of Isle of Wight fishermen smuggle £53m worth of pure cocaine into Britain? Or were they wrongly convicted? Hosted by Raphael Rowe – who was himself falsely imprisoned for murder – this slick series unspools the twisty story over seven interview-packed episodes. AD
Producer pick: Today in Focus
Chosen by Nicole Jackson
For the past week, the Guardian’s award-winning current affairs podcast Today in Focus has been focusing on the devastating conflict in Ukraine with a series of brilliant and heartbreaking episodes. Last Friday, host Michael Safi charted the shock of the Russian invasion with dispatches from Guardian journalists Luke Harding in Kyiv and Emma Graham-Harrison in Maripol over the course of the day, while Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth, who sounded audibly traumatised by what was taking place, detailed the reaction in Russia. This week there have been devastating conversations with ordinary Ukrainians who overnight have found their lives turned upside down. On Monday, Safi asked Ilyas Verdiev, a father to two young children, what he felt about the prospect of taking up arms to defend his country. “I’m not a warrior, to be honest” he replies. “I’m a product manager in an IT company.” A single line that exemplifies the horrific decision now facing millions of Ukrainians. It’s hard to single out just one episode but Thursday’s conversation with 22-year old Volodymyr Ksienich, who had returned from Poland and was now camped out in a forest with an AK47, will stay with me for a long time.
Talking points
It’s International Women’s Day next week (Tuesday 8 March), so BBC Sounds is celebrating with the launch of brand new podcasts led by women. Michelle Visage will discover the mavericks who changed the world in Rule Breakers, while Cat Deeley and Edith Bowman are set explore lasting friendships in Friends Will Be Friends, and journalist India Rakusen is looking at everything to do with the menstrual cycle in 28ish Days Later. Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden will also be uncovering the realities behind corporations attempting to drive environmental change in The Big Green Money Show.
Why not try: The Last Bohemians | Where’s My Jetpack?
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