Pick of the Week
Bill Nighy's Ill-Advised
Bill Nighy serves as the unexpected advisor you didn't realize was missing as he responds to queries from the audience in his new show. It’s a laconic delight to hear his relaxed advice on topics ranging from lipstick application to decluttering a record collection. Insights are shared – despite his self-deprecating protestations.
Widely available, episodes weekly
First Conviction
Ruth Negga, hailing from Limerick, voices this podcast about a couple convicted of performing FGM on their young daughter. Subsequently, they were acquitted but there are continuing legal actions linked to the case. This delicate examination reveals widespread, heartbreaking shortcomings by the authorities.
Easily accessible, weekly installments
Fela Kuti: Unafraid of Anyone
You can't help but be impressed by the line-up of people paying homage one of the greatest African musicians ever in this series about his impact. Ayo Edebiri, Barack Obama, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Flea … the wildly enthusiastic tributes mount up. Until you’re wrongfooted by a gripping narrative about his pianist's parent being killed due to his convictions – and how Kuti bravely championed his family. This is an engrossing, heartfelt life story.
Available on many services, episodes release weekly
The Devil You Know
Think Cyndi Lauper, 80s fashion and, well … Satan! This podcast hosted by Sarah Marshall skillfully balances between entertainment and oral history, as it looks at the satanic scare defined the 80s spirit. Marshall explores the individuals and items that fueled its growth in that decade and beyond, among them a disputed autobiography.
Widely available, episodes weekly
Hell in Heaven
A young, rich American couple move to Costa Rica to build a nature reserve and their dream home. “One of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder – on three occasions,” says reporter Becky Milligan, introducing an astonishing series about the true events of what happened to Jon and Ann Bender in 2010 after they’d set out to make a paradise.
Widely available, episodes weekly
