People of colour in England on average listen to more podcasts than white people, according to recent stats from Ofcom, as part of their annual podcast survey.
And black creators are responsible for some of the most fun, entertaining and interesting pods around. Stephen Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO reigns supreme at the top of podcast charts week after week, and the Shxts n’ Gigs podcast, hosted by best friends James and Fuhad, is routinely found in the top five of Spotify’s podcast charts.
In honour of Black History Month, here are some of our favourite black creator-led podcasts.
The Receipts Podcast
USP: Gossipy, female-focused, best friends having fun.
If you’re ever feeling lonely, listening to this podcast is like happily disassociating as your three best mates chat away. You don’t need to talk back, you can just listen to them discuss relationships, family, pregnancy and dating dilemmas — you name it — while occasionally nodding your head or laughing (and believe me, you will laugh).
It mainly focuses on answering listeners’ sent-in conundrums, with the hosts Tolly T, Audrey, and Milena Sanchez acting as three agony aunts. The trio’s dynamic has proven so popular they’ve done live shows, had billboards plastered across London and even undertaken the Glamour Magazine bestie test. They also interview celebrity guests, such as Paapa Essiedu, Jordan Stephens and Katherine Ryan.
Baby This Is Keke Palmer
USP: Funny, star-studded, has a recorded YouTube version too.
This podcast is hilarious before you even hit play, thanks to the self-referential name which hints to an iconic Twitter meme (a woman claimed Twitter users were posting pictures of her dead cousin, only for another person to clap back “Baby this is Keke Palmer” — the photos were indeed pictures of very-much-alive Keke Palmer).
The American actress, known for her roles in hit films such as Nope and Hustlers, is a natural podcaster, and uses her Hollywood connections to bring on heavyweight guests such as Janelle Monáe, Kamala Harris and Reneé Rapp. If you like that meme (and who wouldn’t) you will like this podcast, simple as.
Where’s Home Really?
USP: Upbeat, foodie with an historical twist
We may be biased, but Masterchef judge and Evening Standard restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa has a pretty stellar podcast too. Where’s Home Really? is a light-hearted, moving look into guests’ different backgrounds, and where they really consider home. For lovers of Off Menu or Table Manners, it’s a natural recommendation, and Jimi follows a similar format of asking interviewees about a person, a phrase, a place and a plate that best represent what home means to them. Plus, it just won a British Podcast Award!
The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell
USP: A-list guests, high brow, has a short version too for your easy-to-swallow doses of podcast on-the-go.
This one’s for all the film lovers. Also an interview format-based podcast, this pod focuses on the biggest names in entertainment, with the help of its host, renowned film critic and visiting Harvard University lecturer Elvis Mitchell. Mitchell has interviewed everyone from Sean Penn to Wes Anderson to Lionel Boyce.
There are full episodes with longer conversations, and then there’s “The Treat” which involves shorter conversations with big stars about something which has creatively inspired them throughout their life, however small or seemingly insignificant. For instance, Cillian Murphy talks about his love for The Beatles in one bitesized, four minute long clip, and Turning Red director Domee Shi discussses her love for Spirited Away in another six minute long episode. You will be constantly surprised by the niche interests of some of the entertainment industry’s most famous celebs.
Have You Heard George’s Podcast?
USP: Erudite while remaining accessible, informative, George’s voice is like ASMR.
This Peabody-award winning podcast hosted by London’s favourite spoken word performer, George The Poet, was gone for a while but now it’s back, and in a different form - because this pod never stops evolving. In its own words: “Since its rise to international acclaim, the multi-award-winning ‘Have You Heard George's Podcast?’ has remained famously undefinable. In its explosive new season, however, this finally changes, as George pieces together fragments of the African and Caribbean independence struggles.”
The new series, named After Empire, has two episodes out so far, covering Ghana’s break from colonial rule and the economic structure of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As George describes in his opening episode: “Basically I’ve been looking more and more into the 60s, 70s and 80s to really undertsand what happened between the time my parents were born and the time when I was born that led to black life being in the condition that I found it in. What happened? So I wanted to look at a couple of snapshots of some of those experiences and see what we can learn.”
Black Gals Livin’
USP: Laugh-out-loud hilarious, pop culture commentary, London-centric.
Black Gals Livin’ is quintessential listening for young Londoners, covering everything from mental health, to pop culture, to Love Island and “random shenanigans,” as they put it.
The hosts Vic and Jas get deep into the differences between The Shade Room and The Shade Borough (the news and celebrity updates-focused Instagram accounts), go hard on the detailed breakdowns of Love Island drama, and also interview media personalities and celebrities, including the previously mentioned Keke Palmer! This is the podcast for if you need a laugh and a hit of that good ol’ parasocial relationship dopamine.
Drink Champs
USP: Boozy, big names, guests get more open with every drink.
I never thought I’d recommend a podcast as pre-drinks or getting ready material, but if there ever was one fit for this purpose, it would be Drink Champs. The beloved, long-running, alcohol-fuelled podcast hosted by rapper N.O.R.E and record label exec DJ EFN brings some of the music world’s biggest names into their booth to get progressively more and more drunk, and as such, the conversation gets progressively more and more loose.
They’ve had huge guests - I’m talking Kanye, A$AP Rocky, DMX, Shaquille O’Neal, Ice T, Akon, Remy Ma, Ginuwine, De La Soul, Neyo, Issa Rae, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg. Need I name more? For fans of the hit YouTube show Hot Ones, this one’s for you - they have similarly chaotic energies. And as Buzzfeed writer Lamar West puts it, “If I had to name the holy grail of Black podcasts, it would more than likely be Drink Champs.” High praise!
