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 and hallmarks: the handsome conversationalist who rises above their celebrity status for the common good; an invited expert who can potentially change the listener’s life; the impactful artwork that simplifies the episode’s message; common use of warm verbs, like ‘empowering’; and, let’s be honest, their huge following. 

However, this differs in one important way. Dr Rangan Chatterjee knows what he’s talking about. 

And that is really important because even though he’s not ‘the expert’, he is literally qualified in this field. Chatterjee doesn’t pretend to be a journalist, or a guru, or even a presenter, really. In this show, he does what all GPs should do – he sits you down and discusses a prognosis and potential solutions calmly. Sure, he invites other people “into the room”, but at the end of the day, you know they have your best interests at heart, for the most part. 

In this episode, we are given a regurgitated snippet of a previous one – the assumption is that the production staff are drinking cocktails on a beach somewhere, fair enough – in which Dr Tommy Wood talks about the benefits of regular exercise versus taking on an intense workout. It’s not mind-blowing, all revelationary, however the conversation is unexpectedly pleasant [read: we’re all going to die but if you walk up more hills, you may die a bit later].

Overall, it’s a nice podcast that you’d probably recommend to your mother and the warm and practical tone is cut from the same kind of cloth as the Great British Bake Off – no intense Americanisms here, thankyouverymuch. 

Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a friendly voice that emboldens you to subscribe. And in an age where it’s easier to visit the King of England than to schedule a doctor’s appointment at our local GP, this show may be our only hope.