5 Podcasts I Love + The Episodes You Need To Listen To

I used to fill my daily (two-hour plus) commute with listening to podcasts and it fast became one of the highlights of my day. On more than one occasion I almost miss my stop because I’d be so engrossed, and if I drove in, I’d often take the ‘scenic’ route if it meant a few minutes longer in the car listening to whatever show was occupying my playlist. But like so many people, my morning ‘commute’ is now from my bedroom to the dining table, and as someone who can’t listen to podcasts while I work, they really did fall by the wayside. Over the past few months I’ve been making more of a conscious effort to get back into them; listening while on walks instead of tuning in to playlists, and while I cook instead of having Netflix on in the background. And like most things, as soon as you get back into the routine, you kick yourself for ever neglecting the habit in the first place.

But the podcasting world is a crowded place now, it seems the natural progression for most influencers and celebrities is to start a podcast, so if you’re new to the space yourself it can be a little intimidating. Especially when you see the back catalogue of some of these titles, some of them have 600+ episodes! So I thought I’d share the five podcasts that I regularly recommend to my family and friends; these are the ones I’ve listened to for the longest or having been especially loving lately or just think that most people would enjoy. But I’ve also noted down someone the episodes that I love the most, so you have a kicking-off point if any of these sounds up your alley.

The Emma Guns Show: This was my introduction to the world of podcasts so it’s only fitting the list starts with this one. The podcast takes the form of really conversational interviews with people across the beauty, health and lifestyle industries, but Emma also sits down with authors, creators and celebs and has the most interesting and engaging chats. I first came across I was scrolling through Instagram and saw that Caroline Hirons had done an interview with Emma Gunawardna for this newfangled thing called a podcast *cue the searching* and so I found the link, and downloaded the episodes and listened to it immediately, and then scrolled through and almost lost my mind when I saw there were more episodes with other Instagram loves of mine like Sali Hughes, Nadine Baggot and Fleur de Force. There were also heaps of other episodes with people that I hadn’t heard of yet so once I’d flagged all the episodes of people I knew of and liked, I started back at the beginning and listened to the rest of the back catalogue in chronological order. Emma also does fab solo episodes which are actually some of the best.
A few favourites…
Helen Thorn on Finding Happiness after Divorce (I’m neither divorced, nor married, but loved this ep!)
Alison Young is The Beauty Insider
Beck Dorey-Stein | From the Corner of the Oval (warning: you’ll definitely order Beck’s book before the podcast is out – you won’t regret it!)
All the Caroline Hirons, Nadine Baggott and Trinny Woodall episodes – they’re all gold.
The 26 Habits series – so interesting!

The Broke Generation: I typically find online finance resources and podcasts either oversimplified or way too complicated to follow, but this one by Emma Edwards finds the sweet spot perfectly and educates with humour and real-life examples. Emma interviews all sorts of people (small business owners, creatives, experts) and even does her own solo episodes covering certain topics in more depth. It’s still fairly young, only starting in July of this year, but it’s fast become a favourite of mine.
A few favourites…
Ep. 2: Side Income, Burn-Out and Capitalism Dissonance
Ep. 4: 14 Acts of Financial Hot Girl Sh*t
Ep. 6: Buying well and shopping with intention with Lauren Di Bartolo
Ep. 9: Money Lessons in Atomic Habits by James Clear

Life Uncut: I was late to the party on this one but ever since my sister sent me a screenshot of one of the episodes with the rather demanding instruction of ‘This. Listen.’ I’ve been hooked. Laura and Britt interview celebrities and experts, but they also have their own episodes where they talk about life, careers, personal growth, finance, and more often than not relationships and everything that comes along with that. They answer emotionally charged audience questions, and read out hysterical and cringe-worthy stories from listeners, but what I enjoy about them most is their brutal honesty, complete transparency and their ability to tell it like it is.
A few favourites…
Samantha Wills
Inside NXIVM
All the weekly Ask Uncut episodes – agony aunt style Q+A episodes, they’re fantastic!

Beauty IQ Podcast: If you love your beauty content, and can’t get enough talk on skincare, makeup and everything else, then this podcast is for you. Joanna Fleming and Hannah Furst are fantastic presenters and although this podcast is produced by Adore Beauty, in all the 103 episodes so far it’s never once felt pushy or salesy in the slightest. Really educational (they regularly have experts, brand founders and doctors featured), incredibly funny and super easy listening. I’ve learnt a lot, I’ve shopped a lot, but I’ve laughed even more.

Ep. 101: Katie Jane Hughes Shares Her Best Beauty Tips
Ep. 88: Are Peptides Really Necessary In Your Skincare Routine?
Ep. 25: Everything You Should Know About Hyaluronic Acid
Oh, and the Caroline Hirons episode too!

Armchair Expert: If you like celebrity interviews, but can do without the gushing and torrential enthusiasm for whatever latest project they’re pushing then this is the podcast for you. Dax Shepard and his co-star Monica Padman do long, conversational style interviews with some of the world’s biggest names. The interviews go off on tangents and deep dive into their personal lives, and just feel like a casual conversation between a few really good friends that you just happen to be eavesdropping in on.
Some particular favourites of mine are with:
Gillian Flynn
Erika Christensen
Carey Mulligan
Dr. Phil
Hilary Clinton
Julianna Margulies

What are your favourite podcasts? And more specifically, are there any stand out episodes for you that you always recommend??