Entertainment

Top 20 Podcasts in the UK

Podcasting has become one of the most popular forms of media consumption in the UK, with millions of listeners tuning in each week during commutes, workouts, and quiet moments at home. The British podcast scene is thriving, producing world-class content across genres from politics and business to comedy, true crime, and culture. Whether you are looking for sharp political analysis, gripping storytelling, or laugh-out-loud entertainment, there is a UK podcast for you. Here are the top 20 podcasts in the UK that are essential listening right now.

1. The Rest Is Politics

  • Description: The Rest Is Politics pairs former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Campbell with former Conservative cabinet minister Rory Stewart for insightful, candid, and often entertaining discussions about UK and global politics. Their contrasting perspectives and genuine friendship create a refreshingly balanced take on current affairs.

  • Popularity: Consistently one of the most downloaded podcasts in the UK, regularly topping the Apple Podcasts and Spotify charts. The show has spawned live tours that sell out major venues across the country.

  • Special Features: Bonus episodes during major political events, a spin-off show The Rest Is History with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, live show recordings, and a Patreon community with exclusive content.

  • Link: The Rest Is Politics

2. Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett

  • Description: Diary of a CEO is hosted by Steven Bartlett, the Dragon's Den star and entrepreneur, who conducts deep, long-form interviews with some of the most interesting people in business, science, health, and culture. The conversations are intimate, probing, and often reveal personal stories and insights rarely shared elsewhere.

  • Popularity: The number one podcast in the UK on multiple occasions, with episodes regularly reaching millions of downloads. The show has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing conversations around health, relationships, business, and personal development.

  • Special Features: High production values with video versions on YouTube reaching massive audiences, the Conversation Cards spinoff product, exclusive community on the app, and a remarkable guest list spanning global leaders, athletes, scientists, and celebrities.

  • Link: Diary of a CEO

3. No Such Thing As A Fish

  • Description: Produced by the QI researchers, No Such Thing As A Fish sees Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski, and Andrew Hunter Murray share their favourite facts discovered each week. The result is a consistently hilarious and genuinely educational podcast that makes learning feel effortless and entertaining.

  • Popularity: One of the longest-running and most beloved comedy podcasts in the UK, with over 500 episodes and hundreds of millions of downloads. Regular sell-out live shows across the UK and international tours.

  • Special Features: Each episode features four fascinating facts with comedic discussion, the annual Book of the Year compiles the best facts, live show recordings offer a different energy, and the show's connection to QI ensures a constant supply of extraordinary knowledge.

  • Link: No Such Thing As A Fish

4. The News Agents

  • Description: The News Agents brings together three of Britain's most respected journalists, Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall, for daily analysis of the biggest news stories. The show cuts through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle to explain what really matters and why.

  • Popularity: Rapidly became one of the most listened-to news podcasts in the UK since its launch, consistently ranking in the top ten across all podcast charts and attracting listeners who want informed, intelligent news analysis.

  • Special Features: Daily episodes provide timely analysis, special long-form episodes for major events, a growing video presence, and the credibility and contacts of three journalists with decades of experience at the BBC and beyond.

  • Link: The News Agents

5. Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster

  • Description: Off Menu is a comedy podcast where Ed Gamble and James Acaster invite a celebrity guest to their imaginary dream restaurant, where they can order any dish from any restaurant in the world. The concept is simple, but the conversations are hilarious, revealing, and surprisingly moving.

  • Popularity: One of the most popular comedy podcasts in the UK with a massive and devoted fanbase. Live shows sell out instantly, and the podcast has become a cultural touchstone for food and comedy lovers alike.

  • Special Features: The dream restaurant concept creates endlessly varied and entertaining episodes, running jokes like the secret word and the poppadom debate have become iconic, and the show attracts remarkable guests from across entertainment, sport, and culture.

  • Link: Off Menu Podcast

6. Desert Island Discs

  • Description: Desert Island Discs is a British institution, running on BBC Radio 4 since 1942 and now available as a podcast. Presented by Lauren Laverne, the show invites a notable guest to choose the eight records, one book, and one luxury item they would take to a desert island, weaving music choices into a deeply personal life story.

  • Popularity: One of the most iconic and enduring programmes in British broadcasting history, with a podcast audience that brings this classic format to new generations of listeners across the globe.

  • Special Features: Over 80 years of archive episodes available as podcasts, the format draws out uniquely personal and candid stories, the musical selections create a soundtrack to each guest's life, and the show remains a genuine honour for guests to appear on.

  • Link: Desert Island Discs

7. Parenting Hell

  • Description: Parenting Hell is hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe, who share the hilarious, exhausting, and often chaotic reality of raising children in the modern world. Their honest and self-deprecating approach has struck a chord with parents across the UK who see their own experiences reflected in every episode.

  • Popularity: One of the bestselling UK podcasts, regularly topping the charts and selling out arena tours. The book spinoff became a Sunday Times bestseller, and the show has built a massive community of parents who feel seen and understood.

  • Special Features: Celebrity guest parents share their own experiences, the honest and unvarnished approach to parenting resonates deeply, live arena tours create a communal experience, and the genuine friendship between the hosts makes every episode warm and relatable.

  • Link: Parenting Hell

8. The Rest Is History

  • Description: The Rest Is History is hosted by historian Tom Holland and author Dominic Sandbrook, who bring history to life with infectious enthusiasm, deep knowledge, and genuine wit. From ancient Rome to the Cold War, each episode or series explores historical events and figures with a narrative flair that makes even obscure topics compelling.

  • Popularity: One of the most downloaded history podcasts globally, with a passionate community of history enthusiasts. Regular live shows at prestigious venues and a thriving membership club with exclusive content.

  • Special Features: Multi-part deep dives into major historical topics, a members-only club with bonus episodes, live recordings at historic venues, and the remarkable chemistry between two hosts who make scholarly history accessible and entertaining.

  • Link: The Rest Is History

9. My Dad Wrote A Porno

  • Description: My Dad Wrote A Porno became a global sensation when Jamie Morton began reading aloud the amateur erotic fiction written by his father under the pen name Rocky Flintstone. Joined by friends James Cooper and Alice Levine, the trio's reactions to the astonishingly bad prose created one of the funniest podcasts ever made.

  • Popularity: A global hit with hundreds of millions of downloads, a sold-out world tour, an HBO special, and recognition as one of the most successful British podcasts of all time.

  • Special Features: The source material is genuinely and unintentionally hilarious, the chemistry between the three hosts is infectious, celebrity fan episodes, live show recordings, and the ongoing saga of Belinda Blinked provides an inexhaustible supply of comedic material.

  • Link: My Dad Wrote A Porno

10. Athletico Mince

  • Description: Athletico Mince is the bizarre and brilliant comedy podcast from Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson. Ostensibly about football, the show is really a vehicle for Bob Mortimer's extraordinary imagination, featuring fictional characters, surreal sketches, and improvised stories that have little to do with sport but everything to do with comedy genius.

  • Popularity: A cult favourite with a devoted following, the podcast showcases Bob Mortimer's unique comedic mind and has introduced a new generation to his particular brand of absurdist humour.

  • Special Features: Recurring fictional characters including the legendary Barry Homeowner, completely improvised segments, a total disregard for the supposed football topic, and some of the most genuinely unexpected and creative comedy in podcasting.

  • Link: Athletico Mince

11. Griefcast

  • Description: Griefcast is hosted by comedian Cariad Lloyd and features honest, open, and often surprisingly funny conversations about death and grief with celebrity guests. The podcast has been widely praised for breaking taboos around bereavement and helping listeners feel less alone in their experiences of loss.

  • Popularity: Award-winning and critically acclaimed, Griefcast has built a dedicated community of listeners who value its compassionate and honest approach to a subject most people find difficult to discuss.

  • Special Features: Each guest shares their personal experience of loss with remarkable candour, the combination of humour and honesty creates a uniquely healing listening experience, companion book You Are Not Alone, and resources for listeners dealing with grief.

  • Link: Griefcast

12. The Infinite Monkey Cage

  • Description: The Infinite Monkey Cage is a BBC Radio 4 science podcast hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince. The show brings together scientists and comedians to explore the biggest questions in science, making complex topics accessible and entertaining for a wide audience.

  • Popularity: One of the most popular science podcasts in the UK, with a loyal audience that spans both science enthusiasts and general listeners drawn in by the warmth, wit, and accessibility of the hosts.

  • Special Features: Recorded live with an audience, the combination of genuine scientific expertise and comedy creates a unique format, a remarkable roster of guest scientists, and the show makes cutting-edge research genuinely accessible and entertaining.

  • Link: The Infinite Monkey Cage

13. Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware

  • Description: Table Manners sees pop star Jessie Ware and her mum Lennie host celebrity guests for a home-cooked meal, recording the conversation around the dinner table. The result is a uniquely intimate and warm podcast that combines food, family, and surprisingly candid celebrity chat.

  • Popularity: One of the UK's most beloved food and culture podcasts, with a dedicated audience drawn to the warmth between Jessie and Lennie and the relaxed, unguarded conversations that the dinner table setting facilitates.

  • Special Features: The home-cooked meal creates a genuinely relaxed atmosphere that draws out different stories than a studio interview, recipes are shared with listeners, Lennie Ware has become a podcast star in her own right, and the show has inspired a bestselling cookbook.

  • Link: Table Manners

14. The High Performance Podcast

  • Description: The High Performance Podcast is hosted by Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes, who interview world-class athletes, business leaders, and performers to uncover the mindset, habits, and strategies behind elite performance. Each episode distills practical lessons listeners can apply to their own lives.

  • Popularity: Consistently one of the top podcasts in the UK, particularly popular among ambitious professionals, athletes, and anyone interested in personal development and peak performance strategies.

  • Special Features: In-depth interviews with genuine high performers across diverse fields, actionable lessons and frameworks distilled from each conversation, a companion book that became a bestseller, and live events featuring star guests.

  • Link: The High Performance Podcast

15. Casefile True Crime

  • Description: While originally Australian, Casefile True Crime has a massive UK following and regularly covers British cases with meticulous detail and sensitivity. The anonymous host's calm, measured narration and exhaustive research make this one of the most respected true crime podcasts available.

  • Popularity: One of the most downloaded true crime podcasts globally with an enormous UK listener base, praised for its respectful treatment of victims and families and its thorough, factual approach to case coverage.

  • Special Features: Deeply researched multi-part episodes, the anonymous host maintains focus on the cases rather than personality, sensitive handling of victim stories, and a catalogue of hundreds of episodes covering cases from around the world including the UK.

  • Link: Casefile

16. Fortunately with Fi and Jane

  • Description: Fortunately is the podcast from BBC presenters Fi Glover and Jane Garvey, who bring their warm, witty, and wonderfully dry sense of humour to weekly conversations about life, work, current events, and everything in between. A celebrity guest joins each episode for the second half.

  • Popularity: A firm favourite among BBC Radio 4 listeners and podcast fans who enjoy intelligent, warm, and genuinely funny conversation between two experienced broadcasters with impeccable chemistry.

  • Special Features: The natural and unscripted rapport between Fi and Jane feels like eavesdropping on two brilliant friends, celebrity guests are drawn into genuinely engaging conversations, and the show covers serious topics with a light touch.

  • Link: Fortunately

17. Shagged. Married. Annoyed.

  • Description: Shagged. Married. Annoyed. is the wildly popular podcast from comedian Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie, who discuss relationships, family life, and listener dilemmas with brutal honesty and infectious humour. The show captures the reality of modern marriage and parenthood with no filter.

  • Popularity: One of the bestselling podcasts in the UK with multiple arena tours, a bestselling book, and millions of downloads. The live shows regularly sell out stadiums and arenas across the country.

  • Special Features: Listener dilemmas and questions drive hilarious discussions, the genuine dynamic between Chris and Rosie is the heart of the show, live arena tours are among the biggest podcast events in the UK, and the complete lack of pretension resonates with millions.

  • Link: Shagged. Married. Annoyed.

18. You're Dead To Me

  • Description: You're Dead To Me is a BBC Sounds history comedy podcast hosted by Greg Jenner, the historical consultant to Horrible Histories. Each episode pairs a historian expert with a comedian to explore a topic from history, creating a format that is both genuinely educational and laugh-out-loud funny.

  • Popularity: One of the most popular BBC podcasts, consistently ranking in the top charts and bringing history to a broad audience through its accessible and entertaining format.

  • Special Features: The combination of academic rigour and comedy makes history accessible to everyone, topics span global history from ancient civilisations to modern events, the show has a young and diverse audience, and Greg Jenner's expertise from Horrible Histories ensures accuracy with entertainment.

  • Link: You're Dead To Me

19. The Adam Buxton Podcast

  • Description: The Adam Buxton Podcast features the beloved comedian and former Adam and Joe star in long, rambling, and deeply enjoyable conversations with friends, fellow comedians, and cultural figures. Recorded during walks in the Norfolk countryside with his dog Rosie, the show has a uniquely warm and contemplative quality.

  • Popularity: A critical favourite and listener favourite alike, with a devoted audience who value the depth, warmth, and genuine connection in Adam's conversations. The podcast captures something uniquely British in its gentle, thoughtful approach.

  • Special Features: Many episodes are recorded outdoors during walks, creating an intimate and atmospheric listening experience. Adam's trademark jingles, his relationship with Rosie the dog, and the unhurried pace make this one of the most distinctive podcasts in the UK.

  • Link: The Adam Buxton Podcast

20. How To Fail with Elizabeth Day

  • Description: How To Fail with Elizabeth Day is a podcast that reframes failure as a positive and necessary part of life. Journalist and author Elizabeth Day interviews high-profile guests about their three biggest failures and what they learned from them, creating deeply honest and inspiring conversations.

  • Popularity: A hugely popular podcast in the UK, particularly among women, with a dedicated community that values vulnerability, honesty, and the empowering message that failure is not something to be feared but embraced.

  • Special Features: The three failures format creates a unique interview structure, guests are often disarmingly honest in ways they rarely are elsewhere, a bestselling companion book, live show tours, and a community built around the radical idea that failure is the foundation of growth.

  • Link: How To Fail

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