Pick of the week
Half-Life
When poet, novelist and journalist Joe Dunthorne decided to write a family history, he had no idea what he was getting into. His journey started, unpromisingly, with a turgid 2,000-page memoir written by his great-grandfather Siegfried. But while looking for an account of his family’s escape from Nazi Germany, Dunthorne found something much more disturbing. This gripping podcast follows him as he reconstructs an erased history. Phil Harrison
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly
The Louis Theroux Podcast
After his excellent BBC documentary on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, Theroux ably shifts gears. Series five of his celebrity interview show kicks off with The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey – who is warm and wise on gender, fame and autism – with rapper/actor Little Simz and anti-ageing obsessive Bryan Johnson to follow. Hannah J Davies
Widely available, episodes weekly
Vine: Six Seconds That Changed the World
Benedict Townsend goes back to 2012 for this eight-part exploration of TikTok precursor Vine. The short-form video app was huge, thanks in no small part to a $30m acquisition by Twitter. Townsend scrupulously charts its rise and fall, from the breakout stars to the brands that exploited the nascent creator economy. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
Deep Cover: The Truth About Sarah
A new series of the meaty investigative podcast centred on people living double lives. Sarah Cavanaugh made headlines in 2022 with her audacious tale of stolen valour (she wasn’t a decorated US marine veteran, nor was she dying of cancer as she claimed when she obtained financial help intended for former personnel). Jake Halpern and Jess McHugh go deep into her deception. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
Floating Space
Katie Stokes is in her mid-20s, and should be having the time of her life in London – so why is she so lonely? This delightful series from the Transmission Roundhouse initiative sees the audio producer get real about our lack of “third places” away from home and work. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly
