The podcast space is experiencing significant growth, with some of the biggest podcasts now being consumed and embraced by big media.
1. Diary of a CEO
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Life, business and society
The Diary of a CEO is one of the world’s most popular podcasts, hosted by British entrepreneur, investor and author Steven Bartlett.
Launched in 2017, Bartlett hosts weekly conversations with the world’s most influential people, experts and thinkers.
From public figures like motivational speaker Mel Robbins and author Dr Joe Dispenza, all the way to dieticians, money experts and even Oprah’s Life Coach – Dr. Martha Beck – the podcast covers it all.
He also regularly interviews celebrities such as actor and rapper Ashley Walters and takes listeners beyond just the on-screen character they see, and delves deeper into each individual’s life story which is often more complex and in-depth than expected.
Known for educating listeners but also asking the tricky, uncomfortable questions that not everyone may want to answer, Bartlett isn’t afraid to challenge his guests on anything they may or may not say.
(By Sara Keenan)
2. Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Culture, comedy and food
Few food podcasts have the same balance of structure and chaos as Off Menu.
Each week, comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster invite a guest to their ‘magical restaurant’ to choose their dream meal: starter, main, side, dessert and drink. It’s a neat hook, but the joy lies in how quickly the menu becomes a launchpad for tangents.
Gamble plays affable maître d’ (master of the house), gently nudging the conversation forward, while Acaster – a whimsical waiter and genie jester – interrupts with surreal detours and obsessive cross-examinations (“Why that side? And why that way?”).
What emerges is a comedic character study, where one guest’s nostalgia for fish fingers becomes a meditation on childhood comfort; another’s loyalty to a high-street chain sparks a heated defence of the humble bread roll.
Not every episode hits equally – some menus feel predictable – but at its best, Off Menu captures the rarity of a podcast that’s as much about personality and storytelling as it is about its topic: food. You leave feeling full, but not in the way you’d expect.
(By Lara Owen)
3. The Mel Robbins Podcast
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Culture, life and society
In a world saturated with wellness trends and self-help noise, The Mel Robbins Podcast stands out as a refreshing voice of clarity.
Mel Robbins rose to prominence with her bestselling book The Let Them Theory, and her podcast – boasting over 4.37 million YouTube subscribers – has become a trusted hub for personal development and mindset transformation.
New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday, featuring in-depth interviews with leading experts who tackle the most pressing questions in psychology and human behaviour, to concise solo episodes packed with practical tools and advice.
Whether you’re feeling stuck in a rut or just need a motivational boost, this podcast delivers. Drawing on her experience in the personal growth space, Robbins has carved a unique path in the crowded wellness landscape – earning her reputation as the queen of self-help.
(By Camilla Foster)
4. The Receipts Podcast
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Culture, relationships and society
The Receipts Podcast, hosted by Tolani Shoneye and Audrey Indome, has become the go-to place for fun and honest girl talk about everything from the weirdest pop culture phenomenon to dealing with relationship heartbreak.
Alongside the full weekly episodes on Wednesday, Indome and Shoneye also share their unfiltered advice in Your Receipts every Monday, which are episodes where listeners write in with their dilemmas about family, friendships, love, careers and everything in between.
The podcast launched in 2016 and amassed approximately 100,000 weekly listeners on Spotify after signing an exclusive deal with the streaming platform in 2019.
But earlier this year, the duo decided to leave Spotify’s HQ, get their own studio space, and share extra content on Patreon, which has helped usher in a bold, new, reimagined era – where no dreams are sold.
(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)
5. We Need To Talk
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Culture, comedy and society
We Need To Talk is a show hosted by Paul C. Brunson and one that listeners know will pull at their heartstrings as Brunson speaks with his guests about all things love, emotions and self-discovery.
Throughout the podcast, Brunson, who may be best recognised from the UK’s Married at First Sight, has spoken with celebrities including Maura Higgins – as he delved into her past relationships – Kelsey Parker, the wife of the late Tom Parker – and most recently singer Perrie Edwards as she opened up about her past relationship with One Direction’s Zayn Malik.
Each episode is met with compassion from Brunson, who approaches the questions and conversation with sensitivity, but also ensures he doesn’t skip over the tough questions that everyone else is thinking about.
This is an important podcast show that encourages others to open up, be vulnerable and have these types of conversations.
(By Sara Keenan)
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