This week's podcast picks include broadcaster Anita Rani's new series and a fresh look at the corporate world...
1. Sisters of Defiance
Anita Rani's new podcast sees the Bradford-born broadcaster launch her own, independent audio endeavour, meaning she's allowed to swear (which she is pretty gleeful about) and gets to pick who she interviews. First up is her hero, the comedy giant Dame Meera Syal (with the likes of French rape survivor Gisele Pelicot and singer Beverley Knight set for future episodes), and Rani clearly adores her. They talk sketch comedy Goodness Gracious Me, the power wielded by aunties and, most movingly, the impact of divorce when you're a South Asian woman. Rani is sometimes overly enthusiastic, jumping in a little too soon when a topic could be stayed with longer, but you can tell she's really committed to building a community that will celebrate strong, defiant women and create a powerful blueprint for other women to follow.
2. Office Real Talk with Tas
Office Real Talk with Tas is a career podcast hosted by Tasneem Bhamji, who is a corporate executive in financial services and a career strategist. At a time when women in the corporate world are quitting, burning out and building side hustles, Bhamji is staying put. Not because the system is perfect – according to Bhamji, it's far from it – but because she knows exactly how it works. The weekly series – which is often short and direct – exposes the unwritten rules of corporate life that most ethnic minority women never get told. In the latest episode, Bhamji gets honest about why working in corporate and entrepreneurship are both hard in completely different ways, the dangers of quitting your job without a plan, and why burnout is often deeper than just workload. Bhamji also talks about the reality behind financial independence and the pressures women experience to build the “perfect” life online.
3. Plastic on the Sofa: A Podcast on Black American Culture
Plastic on the Sofa: A Podcast on Black American Culture is a series that explores black life in all its textures – the ordinary, the extravagant, and everything in between. In each episode, host Erica David-Johnson uses storytelling, commentary, interviews and deep dives to explore the traditions, people, and experiences that continue to shape black American culture. Other episodes unpack larger ideas, including everyday observations that reveal something bigger when you sit with them long enough. Previous episodes have unpacked the essence of the black showgirl, family remedies and cultural memory, and familiar foods and rituals.
4. Change Your Mind
Change Your Mind is a new podcast that debunks myths surrounding mental health and uncovers the secrets to keeping your mind sharp, memory strong, and your mood balanced. In each episode, hosts Catherine de Lange, who is New Scientist's editor, and science journalist Helen Thomson put the biggest wellness trends under the microscope. This week, de Lange and Thomson chat about supplements, how their stance has evolved over the years, if there are any dangers to taking them, and what the global industry is worth. Later on in the episode, the co-hosts are joined by JoAnn Manson, a medical doctor and professor at Harvard University, who debunks myths on brain health and explains how taking multivitamins can have a positive impact on our cognition.
5. The Big C QuizCast
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, with more than 63,000 men diagnosed each year. In a new quiz-style podcast, The Big C QuizCast, support is offered for prostate cancer patients who may not fully understand their treatment options. The one-off episode, in collaboration with specialist cancer care provider, GenesisCare UK, is hosted by BBC Radio 4 comedian and writer Jon Holmes – who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early 2023. Holmes is joined by prostate cancer patients Neil Connolly and Kevin Arkell, and Dr Ben George, the principal physicist for MR Linac at GenesisCare UK. The episode blends the latest research on the knowledge gap patients have when it comes to treatment pathway options, and the fun and humour you will experience when doing a quiz. Holmes – also the creator of Jon Holmes Says the C-Word – also asks guests other non-cancer-related questions, including which company has made the most tyres and three songs written by rock band Genesis.
