Pick of the week
Lives Less Ordinary: Hold Fast!
For this spin-off of the BBC World Service’s unusual life stories series, Derry Girls and Amandaland actor Siobhán McSweeney narrates the tale of a crew who found themselves confined to a Caribbean-bound cargo ship during the Covid pandemic in 2020. It takes a little while to warm up but, once it gets going, the tale of ship cook Giulia and the “zombie vibe” that she encountered at sea becomes increasingly surreal. Hannah J Davies
Widely available, episodes weekly
When the Cops Say No, We Say Yes
There’s a strong chance that this podcast will sound a little familiar. Not only is it from the team behind Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding, it kicks off with another faecal felony. If you could stomach that show and its low-stakes investigations, you’ll love this speedier version, AKA “part detective show, part gameshow, part panicky race”. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
Fame Under Fire
After her hit series following the Sean “Diddy” Combs case, journalist Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty returns with the latest on another lawsuit: the allegations against Kanye West by his former chief of staff, Lauren Pisciotta (which West denies). Hollie Richardson
Widely available, episodes weekly
Lawless Planet
Doyens of the true-crime podcast, Wondery, offer something slightly different here, with a tense show about environmental malfeasance. It kicks off with an episode about a Montana coalmine dubbed a “den of thievery”, where – Zach Goldbaum reports – fraud, embezzlement and even links to Putin were just the tip of the iceberg. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
Try Hard
In words that will be relatable to many, Alex Sujong Laughlin describes herself as “terrified, uncomfortable and uneasy”. Gladly, the Normal Gossip co-creator has channelled this nervous energy into a charming, gentle series about people trying to do new things. First up is Mattie, a trans woman who finds exercising in public excruciating but would love to visit her local yoga studio. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
