Pick of the week: Homo Sapiens
The first episode of Homo Sapiens (iTunes), a podcast by Will Young and Christopher Sweeney, covers coming out, gay animals, homophobic abuse and more. It “looks at current affairs from an LGBTQ+ perspective”, and is immediately charming, astute and fun.
There are plenty of laughs as Young shares anecdotes about his days as a Pop Idol contender. Although he had already come out to his friends when he joined the reality show, he didn’t feel the need to discuss his sexuality. “It was fairly obvious when I was singing Aretha Franklin in a tank top,” he laughs. He dodged the inevitable interview questions about who he would like to go on a date with. “I said I’d like to have tea with the Queen.” Later, he rejected the idea of kissing a man in his All Time Love video for pragmatic reasons: “Do the maths. How many people want to see a man kiss a man in comparison to how many don’t?” Still, there were rumblings when he danced with a male mannequin.
He and Sweeney are the perfect podcast raconteurs, as comfortable talking about open relationships as they are about the time tonsillitis saved Young from turning up at Elton John’s ball in fancy dress by mistake. Small dogs yap in the background while they mix serious issues with fun. One of those dogs belongs to Guardian writer Owen Jones. Although Jones airs his views at typical breakneck speed, Sweeney and Young’s chat reaches the man behind them, eliciting personal stories, including when he came out to his mum and she “malfunctioned”, repeating: “That’s OK, that’s OK …” Jones hits out at what he calls “gender policing”. “When you grow up, you have this expectation of how men should behave … getting into fights, leering at women, being sporty,” he says. “If you don’t abide by that, people go: ‘Stop being such a gay.’ The majority of homophobic abuse – controversial point – is directed at straight men.”
The hosts have a way of taking the pressure off and letting their guests take the microphone. With Rebecca Root, Russell T Davies and John Grant coming up, there is much to look forward to.
Your picks: from sexually arousing plants to eavesdropping on lovers
The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium
Jemaine Clement – of Flight of the Conchords fame – leads the cast as the arrogant buffoon Lord Joseph Banks, in this story set on a ship full of botanists in 1768 that harks back to the fine tradition of mid-century radio acting.
The botanists are on the hunt for the most sexually arousing plant in the world – so potent that laymen cannot possibly touch them. This bizarre setup, combined with an assortment of oddball characters – men who have lost their minds at sea, hoity-toity aristocrats, murderous pillagers – creates a hilarious and immersive story. Hearing Clement wrestle with his desires as a scientist and a red-blooded man of the world is a joy. Recommended by Dan Grubb
The interactions between any mother and daughter can be fraught, comforting, bewildering and amazing, and presenter Bhan Gatkuoth tackles all of this against the backdrop of her own mother’s incredible life – she was a child bride, a refugee and a prison escapee from Sudan. Beyond the incredible stories and gut-wrenching emotions, Daughter gives voice to a woman whose life may otherwise have gone unnoticed. A wonderful reminder that we’re all in this adventure of life together. Recommended by Katelyn Wiley
I started listening to Jules & James after a friend raved about it. She said it was a must-listen for anyone who’d always wanted to “eavesdrop on strangers in a socially acceptable manner”. The story starts when Jules, an indie film-maker in London, accidentally dials the wrong number and lands on James, an American who ditched his corporate career to become a painter in Paris. Instead of hanging up, they strike up a conversation. It’s technically categorised as a romance podcast, but it’s so much more – and will leave you feeling strange, as if you’ve tapped their phones and are about to get caught. Recommended by Courtney von Bostel
Guardian pick: is healthcare for all the key to the future?
In the latest edition of the Global Development podcast, the team visit Tanzania to look at the ongoing efforts to introduce universal health care. We follow presenter Lucy Lamble as she meets The Elders, an independent group of global leaders, co-founded by Nelson Mandela, who work together for peace and human rights. We hear from people working at grassroots level all the way up to former prime ministers. It’s a short, sweet and beautifully constructed episode. With the sounds of Tanzania weaving in and out, I felt utterly transported. Recommended by Rowan Slaney
