This week’s best podcasts – including how to build your dream life, belly laughs, and the legacy of ‘The Black 14’

Are you dealing with burnout? Are you ‘faking’ your way through adulthood? Have you ever wondered how orphans pick up the pieces of their life? This week’s podcasts explore so many of life’s big questions…

Podcast of the week

1. Confident & Killing It

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Life coach Tiwalola Ogunlesi is back this week after a six-month hiatus from podcasting after her wedding, the publication of her book (which has the same name as her podcast), and “dealing with severe burnout”.

She’s on a mission to create a world of more confident women and her newest episode is a great place to start – reframing fear and failure. It’s in a monologue style but Ogunlesi is engaging nonetheless, sharing her personal tips and tricks for feeling more confident.

She encourages listeners to be less scared of failing, because that can leave us stuck, and instead see failure as a method of “information gathering” and even a necessary step forward towards the “life you deserve”. Listen to the 35-minute episode on your way to work and you might just feel a little more inspired for your day.

(By Lauren Taylor)

2. Faking Adulthood 

There were some parts of the new episode of Faking Adulthood that I shouldn’t have found funny, but I did. Actor and presenter Rita Balogun’s sense of humour is innovative. It’s not only about making an audience laugh –  it’s about being a great storyteller and having a unique brand of comedic timing. Balogun has all these traits.

Whilst retelling the story about her grandfather trying to run into a wall the morning after his wife died – they had a pact, unbeknownst to her family, that whoever dies first, the other must follow straight after, so they can go together – the co-host Raphael Babs was cracking up with the type of laugh that makes your belly hurt and leaves you in stitches. “You’re laughing a little bit too hard at that actually,” Balogun says to Babs – and indirectly listeners, who, like me, couldn’t believe the story they were hearing.

The conversation didn’t only make me laugh, however, it made me think about why we all need to dream bigger, and think about the type of life I want to build for myself. Also, it was so iconic of Balogun to invite someone she previously dated onto the podcast. I love how their friendship has evolved, developed and matured.

Only three episodes in, Faking Adulthood has created a light-hearted and fun space where people can freely talk about the ups and downs of adulting. Especially when they don’t know what they are doing.

(By Yolanthé Fawehinmi)

3. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain

Genre: Wellbeing

Emma Chamberlain’s podcast discusses whatever is on her mind that particular day, from mental health to a random story from 10 years ago. Fans of her YouTube channel will know she is all about that laid-back feel and usually chats to the camera as if she were talking to a mate. The podcast has the same tone, with the most recent episode discussing the idea of limiting beliefs – where she claims she limits herself based on what she thinks she’s capable of – which is quite reassuring, considering Chamberlain’s got her own coffee brand and interviews celebs at the Met Gala.

Her advice to those feeling the same way is to Google it – she literally reads out snippets from a self-help website – which feels a bit lazy on her part. But at the end of the day, her podcast isn’t branded as self-help, and nor is she a mental health professional. The podcast shows off Chamberlain’s relatable side and you can’t deny it’s comforting and funny – so, if you’re looking for a laid-back listen and you’re also navigating the confusing times of your 20s, this podcast could absolutely be for you.

(By Molly Powell)

4. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Genre: Entertainment

American actor and comedian Dax Shepard and actress Monica Padman speak to actor Jon Hamm, as they continue with their Fargo week – including more bonus episodes – to celebrate the latest season of the beloved crime drama. Hamm, star of Fargo, Mad Men and Top Gun: Maverick, to name a few, spoke a lot about his upbringing, in particular how becoming an orphan at the age of 20 changed the trajectory of his life and impacted him as a person.

Grief can be very complicated to navigate, because it doesn’t necessarily go away. But hearing him talk about it with such transparency was very insightful and, in some ways, quite liberating for him too. However, my favourite part of this episode was when he spoke giving himself until the age of 30 to figure out how he’ll make it to Hollywood, and bumping into Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington when he first attended the Golden Globes as a newcomer. Have you ever done this before? Give your dreams a deadline.

Spotlight on…

5. Amazing Sport Stories: The Black 14

I’ve never heard the real-life story of the “Black 14″, a group of 14 young black American football players who were kicked off their university team in Wyoming, in 1969, for wanting to protest against racism at another university, but BBC World Service’s latest season of Amazing Sport Stories really breaks it down. The story proves to have been a catalyst that’s helped reform and change the perception of national sporting figures who decide to take a stand, with recent examples being American civil rights activist and former football quarterback, Colin Rand Kaepernick.

Hosted by B.A. Parker, who takes us back to that time when black people were not welcome on the field, the American writer and presenter explores the injustices that the Black 14’s dismissal. “The Black 14’s fight for their dignity has had a lasting impact on the U.S. sporting community. And their story is a necessary one to tell. In this BBC World Service series, I want listeners to reflect and see how far we’ve come from that tumultuous moment in 1969, yet how far we still need to go in terms of advocating for equality and standing up to racial injustice, both in the United States and globally,” Parker said.

Listening to narrative podcasts is always an experience, especially when they feature interviews from case studies. Amazing Sport Stories: Black 14 includes accounts from some of the men who were part of the Black 14, and it’s riveting.

6. A Piece of Cake with Gregg Wallace

(By Abi Jackson)