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The Guardian

The best podcasts of 2025 in the UK so far

Jeremiah Crowell's CBC series transports listeners back to 2001, and the anthrax letter attacks that had much of the US gripped with panic in the wake of 9/11. If it all seems like a distant memory, Crowell's meticulous narration of the events bring the frenzy and confusion of it all right back. From the underreported fatalities to the police's painstaking investigation and the question of whether a government scientist could have been behind it, Crowell doesn't skip over any of the details in a heavily researched series notable for its lack of sensationalism. For many of the dancers who made it into the New York City Ballet, performing with the elite company was the pinnacle of their achievements. But the reality, as is so often the case in gilded institutions, was starkly different. The NYCB has been hit with allegations of harassment and abuse over the years – even towards its hallowed founder, the late, influential choreographer George Balanchine, AKA Mr B. Stak's Nicky Anderson – herself a ballet enthusiast – delicately moves between past and present, as former dancers recount distressing memories. Writer and activist Nova Reid hosts this sumptuous series for Audible, bringing the often untold stories of pioneering Black women to the fore. Among them, Queen Nanny of the Maroons, a Jamaican revolutionary whose life story teaches us much about the roots of the culturally diverse Caribbean nation. Closer to home, Reid crafts a loving portrait of activist Olive Morris – a member of the British arm of the Black Panthers – that doesn't shy away from her identity as a queer Black woman. Faith's attempt to get to grips with what life's lowest moments mean for people in the public eye is a highly personal, enjoyably chaotic listen. Its knack lies in blending the poignant and hilarious: Samuel L Jackson opens up about smoking cocaine while looking after his daughter, but also accidentally teaching her as a toddler to announce 'that shit looks fucked up!' when she saw food she didn't like. Anecdotes about crying during orgasms, jokes about vaginas that smell like roses, Aisling Bea's tragic tale of striking up an unexpected friendship with an elderly neighbour during the pandemic, only for him to die – it's never less than eventful. Scam podcasts – the kinds of stories that hinge on criminals gaining trust via calls, texts or emails, then emptying their victims' bank accounts – are nothing new. But what if we could hear from the scammers themselves? Denise Chan's series for Wondery does just that, zooming in on the horrifying story of Max, who was put to work on a brutal compound in Myanmar, where he extorted money from unwitting jobseekers. Best known for reporting on political corruption and the burgeoning 'broligarchy' of tech moguls, Carole Cadwalladr ploughs a very different furrow in this absorbing, and terrifying, BBC series. Teaming up with 'ex-stepdaughter' Hannah Mossman Moore, Cadwalladr unpicks a chilling campaign of stalking that ruined Hannah's life … then realises there is something of a Venn diagram between Hannah's experiences and the abuse she has herself suffered as a dogged reporter. How to follow up a Pulitzer-winning podcast about the state of incarceration in the US, and a man who spent 31 years in prison? Simple – you follow him now that he's out. The second run of this Futuro Studios/PRX pod isn't here to offer a fairytale ending, though. Rather, Julieta Martinelli and Maria Hinojosa sensitively (and at times exasperatedly) show that even though David Luis 'Suave' Gonzalez is free, the physical restrictions of his parole and the mental toll of spending three decades behind bars still dominate his existence. Taking a sideways route into the celebrity interview podcast, What's My Age Again? has seen the likes of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Romesh Ranganathan find out how old they actually are, thanks to a nifty test that sees how well your all-important organs and tissues are faring for someone of your age. It feels low-stakes enough for casual listening, but – like most things Ryan is involved with – that initial breeziness belies its frankness, as guests open up about topics including adoption, addiction, and – in Ranganathan's case – the health conditions he might be more susceptible to as a person of South Asian descent. A perfect pod for the curious (read: nosy), What We Spend offers a peek into the bank accounts of others – their outgoings, sure, but also what they've been gifted by their parents, the debts they're struggling to pay off, and the often exorbitant amounts they're shelling out just to stay afloat. The Audacy series – hosted by Courtney Harrell – has also provided a vital, unvarnished look at the struggles facing Americans in 2025. Not least in its episode about Maxine – a trucker forced to eat, sleep and work in her vehicle to make ends meet – and a follow-up instalment titled America's Working Homeless. Much like the work of probably the greatest comic writer ever to have lived, this homage is a ray of sunshine. Hosted by Alexander Armstrong, president of the PG Wodehouse Society UK, it marks 50 years since the novelist's death by inviting celeb fans such as Stephen Fry, Lynne Truss and Ben Elton to enthuse about the joy the author has brought to their lives – followed by laugh-out-loud readings of his sparkling prose. All delivered in 15 minutes, no less.