Latest Reviews
August 13, 2024
Howzat? 3.2 / 6 Being critical of Joe Wicks aka “The Body Coach” is like slagging off a puppy: it feels wrong. Especially if the puppy is opening up about his dad’s addiction and terrible childhood. But, fortunately for us, there’s not much balls-out criticism to be had here. Joe Wicks – the lad who
- August 12, 2024
Howzat? 5.6 / 6 ‘What is this?’ was my first question. And, to a point, it remains a relevant question because ‘The Quiet Journeys of Professor Atwood’ is absolute nonsense. But it’s fantastic nonsense. According to Atwood*, the purpose of this show is to provide a space where one can chill the funk out and drift
- August 2, 2024
Howzat? 5.5 / 6 Kathy Burke is a fucking legend, and I don’t use the word “fucking” lightly here. Even though the premise of this show is slightly contrived (panel of highly paid executives, take note – death, bit on-the-nose, isn’t it?), nothing can touch Kathy Burke at the moment. She is speedily turning into
- July 30, 2024
Howzat? 4.4 / 6 The past, it was nuts, wasn’t it? Well… if this episode of the jovial ‘Oh What A Time’ is anything to go by, then yes. It was more off its rocker than Gwyneth Paltrow on fortified cider. Chris, Ellis, and Tom chat about feasts of yesteryear, and in particular, the outrageous
- July 26, 2024
Howzat? 5.2 / 6 There is no rhyme or reason why this show is such a monster hit. As a format, celebs – mainly comedians – speak to Ed Gamble and James Acaster, about their “dream” meal and by rights, it should be OK at its very best. But somehow, it works very well. Derry
- July 24, 2024
Howzat? 2.4 / 6 The QI podcast, ‘No Such Thing As A Fish’ (a title based on one of the more interesting facts on the TV show) is a true stalwart in podcast-land. And despite it being a very middle-class, middle-of-the-road show, it has performed consistently well – a little like the podcast version of
- July 23, 2024
It takes a truly fantastic episode to make it onto the Fifth Umpire’s recommendation list because, as a rule, most things we listen to suck. Boo hoo for us. However, thankfully, these most definitely don’t… No.5 A Millennial Mind – “I Was Wrong: Teaching Girls Bravery Over Perfection” Where has this podcast been hiding? It’s like
- July 22, 2024
Howzat? 3.9 / 6 Those who have been listening to podcasts since time began (2011, approx) will know the staying power and traits of Mme. Elizabeth Day and her ‘How To Fail’ podcast. Now with a mega deal with Sony Entertainment under her belt, Day is (finally) extending her media chops and launching somewhat of
- July 19, 2024
The weekend’s just around the corner and the ice cream man is making millions from insatiable kids who won’t stop pestering their parents for a taste of the sweet sweet frozen nectar. That means only one thing… it’s sliptime, baby… How I Built This – “KAYAK: Paul English (2021) Howzat? 4.9 / 6 How can
- July 18, 2024
Howzat? 4.0 / 6 Do you know what a questmonger is? What about the origin of the word ‘carpenter’? And why does ‘bemothered’ mean to be confused by something? If you’re into etymology, then you’re in for a real treat with ‘Words Unravelled’. The podcast, hosted by word-geek YouTuber ‘Rob Words’, and authour of all
- July 17, 2024
Howzat? 0.2 / 6 “Mums, we’ve all been there. Your kids are playing up and you need to send them to the naughty corner.” Have I accidentally stumbled into a time machine and now we find ourselves in the 1970s, surrounded by the unapologetic patriarchy? WTF! I’ve not even pressed play and already this new
- July 16, 2024
Howzat? 4.7 / 6 (Tuesday Teaser) We don’t usually write about true crime but, fucking hell, the Aussie’s do crime well. For some reason, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) are one of only a few organisations that have nailed the “Serial-esque” true-crime narration thing since it “became a thing”, so this should be a real
- July 12, 2024
Howzat? 4.5 / 6 “Fake! fake! fake!”* It’s a very vague remit of a podcast but hey, it’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus, so it’s all good. And, it’s produced by Lemonada Media, which means we’re in safe hands. I haven’t got time to write a complete review but all I will say is that it’s worth a
- July 10, 2024
Howzat? 4.2 / 6 There was a danger here that this podcast, in the hands of shiny-mega-commercial-radio-company Global, would be produced within an inch of its life, sucking all the glorious comedy freestyling from a trio of Scottish comedians so blasé, they make Snoop Dog (Snoop Lion?) look like accountants on the verge of a
- July 9, 2024
Howzat? 1.2 / 6 As any young content creator is told, it’s up to the audience to heap praise on whatever you decide to showcase to the world. It portrays class and humility, helping forge a stronger bond with an appreciative audience who want to keep coming back for more. ALT: there’s nothing worse than
- July 8, 2024
Howzat? 5.1 / 6 Whatever a podcast is (nobody really knows, do they?), Sketchplanations – a show that explains things via the visual medium of cartoons – seems to offer it in bucketloads. The format? Well, it’s not rocket science, however, if it was, it would aptly be explained neatly in a lovely
- July 5, 2024
Hey! You! What’s eeeuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrppppp? Here it is, this week’s Friday Slips. Take them or leave them but please don’t ignore them… Comfort Eating with Grace Dent – “Allan Mustafa, actor and comedian” Howzat? 3.2 / 6 Grace Dent is a personality and, boy, don’t we know it. She presents as she walks: quaint, dainty, breathy
- July 4, 2024
Howzat? 3.8 / 6 Let’s be honest, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’re primarily listening for Russell Howard’s wry comedic take on the world. And, indeed, within the first minute of this episode, Howard and his guest – fellow British comedian and football enthusiast Maisie Adam – start joking about how children running in
- July 3, 2024
Howzat? 4.2 / 6 It feels a little ‘icky’ talking about the latest podcast by “internet celebrity” PJ Vogt and his accomplice colleague Sruthi Pinnamaneni, in what appears to be their first public creative podcast outing since, well *ahem*, their colleagues outed them for fuelling somewhat of a hostile working environment at Reply All (All
- June 27, 2024
Howzat? 2.8 / 6 Before we get into it, what is with the title of this show? It’s way too long and I would go as far as saying it’s annoyingly long – like there was a table of Hollywood agents who wouldn’t allow the project to go ahead without referring to absolutely every element
- June 26, 2024
Howzat? 4.0 / 6 Back in 2010, when the Internet wasn’t full of fake news and skinny jeans were all the rage* podcasting was in its nascent stage. And at that time, one of the biggest comedy chat shows was The Collings and Herrin Podcast (pause for dramatic gasps). The show itself sounded
- June 25, 2024
We don’t really do serious, true-crime serials on Fifth Umpire, but we just listened to this trailer in FU Towers and most of us mouthed “fucking hell”, or something to that effect, after it finished playing out. Sounds good, huh? After a mysterious drowning off ‘Mortuary Beach’, police start to question what’s really happened to
- June 24, 2024
Howzat? 4.5 / 6 Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett did what any sensible, incredibly rich, well-known comedian would have done during a global pandemic: they started a podcast. When it launched, ‘Parenting Hell’ tapped into the rich seam of stir-crazy parents throughout the land and received plaudits for sharing the unholy burden of parenthood in
- June 21, 2024
On this, the longest day of the year, we celebrate the summer solstice, not by dressing down to our knackers and playing the flute on a Somerset hill, but by going through some of the latest offerings from podcast-land… The Pink House with Sam Smith – “In the Family Room with Gloria Estefan” Howzat? 5.4
- June 19, 2024
Howzat? 3.9 / 6 As with most tabloid headlines, you shouldn’t be fooled by this one here. The “admission” by Rooney isn’t as explosive as it may first seem. In fact, this entire podcast is like that: more posturing than a posing postman, so-to-speak. We have to start with the man-brand himself, Gary Neville, and
- June 18, 2024
Kicking Back With The Cardiffians Ironically, a series stating that it’s a series of “special” and “intimate” conversations doesn’t seem that special in the land of podcasting, where you’d be lambasted for releasing something too general and balsé. However, strap your girdles tightly to your loins, this podcast features… THE WELSH! And more specifically, it
- June 17, 2024
Howzat? 4.1 / 6 Cooked up from the fires of hell (Essex) and moulded from the ambers of sludge (reality TV), Rylan has had a surprisingly successful career, albeit somewhat generic. The singer reality contestant TV presenter radio presenter podcaster is riding high on a career fuelled by the needs of media executives to appeal
- June 14, 2024
What glory days these be. We have the T20 Cricket World Cup on-the-go and now, the European Championships start today too. To “celebrate”, let’s see what effort podcasters are putting out there… Football Weekly – “Euro 2024 preview: Groups E and F … including Portugal” Howzat? 4.9 / 6 The Guardian knows when it’s onto
- June 13, 2024
Howzat? 3.9 / 6 Prelude: hearing the usually erudite Gary Lineker reading an ad for Pepsi Max at the beginning of the episode, sounding like a frightened school kid talking about what their parents do for a living in front of the whole school (“I’ll be enjoying the Euros with a Pepsi Max in hand”)
- June 12, 2024
Howzat? 2.7 / 6 Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke are no strangers to irreverent comedy panel shows. All you have to do is tune into BBC Radio 4 on any given day and there’s a high percentage that you’ll hear either one of them chim up with a heavily scripted quip, only for them to
- June 11, 2024
Copying Goalhanger’s playbook, Global have launched another in the ‘Agents’ podcast stable and this time they have pinched yet more presenter talent from the BBC in the form of sedentary stalwarts Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan. We don’t subscribe but by the sounds of this trailer, The Sports Agents should be a safe, albeit slightly
- June 10, 2024
Howzat? 1.5 / 6 Oh bollocks, Wondery have done it again. For some reason, the podcasting powerhouse – owned by Amazon, of course – absolutely loves mixing scripted documentary formats with ad hoc, banterific chat but come off it guys, it sounds so, so… confusing. And that’s a little heartbreaking because on paper, this show
- June 7, 2024
Fix up, look sharp. Here are some Friday review shots to set you up for the weekend… No Worries If Not – “Why Are Women Afraid of Looking Old?” Howzat? 2.5 / 6 This show is basically a personal essay delivered weekly from cartoonist and writer Lily O’Farrell who, in this episode, shares her opinions
- June 6, 2024
Howzat? 0.4 / 6 TL:DR = TL:DL So here we are then: the vanguard of podcasting, a medium which has swept boldly into the mainstream, opening the creative doors for the masses to show off their creative genius, democratising media for the greater good of mankind. But what’s this? Yet another comedy chat show with
- June 5, 2024
Howzat? 5.2 / 6 Like all creditable podcast reviews, let’s start with an analogy about Italian cinema. Many millennia ago when I was a student, I was forced to study Italian cinema, and in particular, I had to cast my analytical eye on a film called L’Avventura (senza subtitles). The thing is, I don’t speak
- June 4, 2024
If you like the mountains true crime content Wondery have previously released – and there’s so, so much of it – then you’ll like this offering, guessing by the tone of the trailer. Points that this show is guarantee to include: Nancy Brophy fills her novels with romantic betrayals and murder. It’s a far cry
- June 3, 2024
Howzat? 4.8 / 6 No one likes talking to their parents about wanking, do they? On the surface, the premise of this show is a fascinating psychological insight into the complexities of a father-son relationship, placating any tensions life in the limelight brings. The reality is much more trite, of course – it’s merely yet
- May 31, 2024
We’ve bowled a beaut, these podcasts have nicked one and we’ve caught an absolute wonder in the slips… Great Company – “Shania Twain: Saving My Family at Thirteen” Howzat? 1.7 / 6 Let’s be honest, Jamie Laing presents the same podcast but across several different podcasts. He’s absolutely everywhere. Please, for the LOVE OF GOD,
- May 30, 2024
Howzat? 2.2 / 6 Production company Keep It Light has a formula: get a B/C/D-list celebrity to “keep it light” and watch the subscribers, and therefore the cyaaash money, come rolling in. And after Natalie Cassidy’s strong guesting on Parenting Hell (perhaps their favourite guest, and frankly, who cares?), the KIL team pounced on the
- May 29, 2024
Howzat? 1.2 / 6 TL:DR – if you’re not into either Caroline Hirons or SJP, don’t waste your time. Longer review: There has been much debate in podcasting land about ‘the charts’. Some people swear by them and a place in the overall top 10 is often hailed as the Mecca for audio producers,
- May 28, 2024
Howzat? 4.4 / 6 First thing’s first, it’s difficult to listen to this podcast whilst eating a Portuguese custard tart (they’re too tasty to ignore) and secondly, probably more importantly, it’s arguably more difficult to listen to this show if you’ve heard Diary of a CEO before. Why? Because it has all the same tropes
- May 24, 2024
Howzat? 5.0 / 6 Let’s face it, most people listen to a podcast because of the presenter. Yes, “the content” matters, of course it does, but the intimacy of the listening experience means that if the person talking in your ear doesn’t butter your biscuit, it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to choose to make
- May 23, 2024
Howzat? 4.8 / 6 For those of you who loved listening to ‘Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?’ there is hope here that this new show, which graduates from following soccer fandom in the 1990s to the 2000s, will live up to expectations and fill a hole now that comedian Josh Widdicombe has
- May 22, 2024
Howzat? 3.0 / 6 Don’t let the fact that professional rugby player Joe Marler hosts this show fool you – it isn’t a rugby-based podcast. There’s no statistical analysis of the Premiership here. Rather, this is the Radio 1 breakfast show regenerated for the 2020s but with a lingering aftertaste of humour anchored in the
- May 21, 2024
Howzat? 0.9 / 6 The world’s largest known lollipop stands at 5ft 11in tall and weighs in at a whopping 500,134 stone in California, which equates to a hell of a lot of sugar. And if I ate this lollipop, accompanied by a vat of full fat coke, it probably wouldn’t taste as sickly as
- May 20, 2024
Howzat? 5.1 / 6 In a world full of true crime podcasts that largely concentrate on ‘orrible things like murder, kidnapping, and the darker elements of Guantánamo, a show based on a scandal involving sporting equipment brings some welcomed levity to the table and I would even go as far as saying that it reinvigorates
- May 17, 2024
Howzat? 2.9 / 6 True crime podcasts. For as long as they have been around, the genre has always been the ‘apex saecula’ of the podcasting world. Think the ground-breaking Serial from This American Life; firm fan favourite Crime Junkie; and Dateline NBC, a podcast wrapped up in so much drama that even the Kray
- May 16, 2024
Howzat? 3.9 / 6 Let’s start with the elephant in the sound-proofed room: although the release cadence of Acquired is monthly, this podcast is over 4 hours long. 4 BLOODY HOURS! That’s the same time as it takes to drive from London to Yorkshire, or, if you want to be more scientific, how long it
- May 15, 2024
Howzat? 4.8 / 6 When it comes to the ‘listen you cretin, this is serious history right here’ genre of podcasts, Noiser – the producers of Curious History of Your Home – have cornered the market. Their USP (Ultra Specific Patter) is that they make you feel like you’re living the history they’re talking about;
- May 14, 2024
Howzat? 4.1 / 6 Do you like listening to in-jokes at a hair salon? If so, this is the podcast for you. Jordan North – the witless half of this podcast duo – and his northern star is rising at the moment. He is the new breakfast show presenter for Capital FM and ‘Help I
- May 14, 2024
Howzat? 3.2 / 6 We need to talk about Stephen Bartlett. Let’s start with the blindingly obvious. The man cares not for his guests or their “journey”. What he actually cares about is marketing. And fair play to the man, he’s made a career building up a God-like myth around his business acumen (“Happy Sexy
- April 29, 2024
Howzat? 3.4 / 6 Like a baby monkey cocooned in the bosom of its mother monkey, so Gary Linekar’s Goalhanger Films (podcasts? what?) clings to the life-giving deal that Spotify’s Megaphone feeds to it to boost the network’s output. Now, that may sound catty but it’s important. Why? Because it explains the success of their
