The big finish: podcasts that really stick the landing
Headphones are essential for this atmospheric audio drama from Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, released in 2022 and told over 12 parts. Tracy Letts plays radio shock jock Rick Egan, who casually, carelessly stirs up racial tensions in the post-9/11 US. Fast forward eight years, and Rick is persona non grata in the industry, a deadbeat dad and – on top of all that – has become the target of an evil parasitic force called the Blank (voiced by Taran Killam), in a series that offers thrills and chills right to the end.
Megan Bhari was a teenager who – despite apparent ill health – poured her energy into founding a charity for sick children that was supported by the likes of One Direction. But, astoundingly, web sleuths alleged that Bhari was faking cancer – even claiming that she had gone to Disney World when she was supposed to be undergoing treatment. Sensitively handling its hugely tricky subject matter, Jamie Bartlett's 2023 BBC series keeps up its rigorous investigation of the Believe in Magic charity all the way to its final chapter, with big revelations about Bhari and her family.
This pod from the FT and Pushkin is the sort of series that lodges itself deep in your brain after listening. First released in 2022, it offers a forensic look at the world of online porn, from the surprising role of Visa and Mastercard to what performers really think of their tech overloads, and the ascent of OnlyFans. It also seeks to answer a simple but seemingly unknowable question: who is PornHub's secretive owner? Gladly, Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker find this out – and much more besides.
Released earlier this year, this series hosted by journalist Nicky Anderson for the British podcast outfit Stak delves into the elite New York City Ballet, where allegations of abuse and toxicity have festered over the decades – even leading to a headline-grabbing lawsuit. Its greatest strength is its candid accounts from former members of the company – which continue right to the last episode, when a newly retired dancer unpacks the isolation and mental strain she suffered.
Funded in part by Nasa, Quantum Quest was an ambitious, educational sci-fi animation with an enviable voice cast that included Samuel L Jackson, Mark Hamill and Sandra Oh. Why, then, did the film barely see the light of day, showing in one Kentucky cinema for six months in 2011 before all traces of it were scrubbed from existence? This indie pod explores all the theories, before getting some solid answers about how such a starry project ended up on the scrapheap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Oasis make last minute tour changes - but plans will should make fans happy
Noel and Liam Gallagher want the band to sound amazing and so they are still tweaking their live show Oasis are heading into 'extra time' in Cardiff's Principality stadium - by holding rehearsals this week at the venue. Some bands would only soundcheck on the day of gigs, but with this being such a huge comeback show when they have not played together for over a decade, Noel and Liam Gallagher are leaving nothing to chance. The band, which also includes new drummer Joey Waronker and guitarists Andy Bell, Gem Archer and Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs, have lined up rehearsals this week in the rugby and football stadium to make sure they sound their best right from the start of the tour. A source close to the band told the Mirror: 'With a new line up and it being such a huge first show, the boys will do some songs inside the venue too. 'Some tours would start with a smaller show or take a week or two to get into the groove again. But there is no time for that and also Liam and Noel want every night to be massive. 'This is such a huge comeback show and they are taking it very seriously. It all points to it being an incredible comeback tour.' Liam Gallagher confirmed the band will walk on stage in Cardiff for the first night's show at 8.15pm on Friday night. He posted on X about the start time adding 'don't be late or we'll start without you and you don't want that now'. He later removed the post but the timing has been confirmed to the Mirror with support act Cast on at 6pm and Richard Ashcroft playing at 7pm. The band have also lined up DJs for anyone going into the stadium early, as the gates open at 5pm. The band are expected to play a set of around two hour for the 74,500 fans. Noel told TalkSport last week he has the weekend off but that in rehearsals last week the band were sounding 'huge'. On X, formerly twitter, Liam was asked on Friday if the roof of the stadium would be open or closed for the gigs. Liam replied: 'It'll be coming off either way.' As well as Cardiff there will also be dates in Mancheste r, London, Edinburgh and Dublin as part of the tour. New merchandise by the band made with Adidas has been a huge hit with some items selling out. Noel, 57, quit the Manchester rock group on August 28 2009, saying he "simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer", and the brothers had made negative comments about each other for more than a decade. That all changed with the announcement of the tour in August last year. The pair posed for several photos together confirming the band's long-awaited reunion on Tuesday, saying: "The great wait is over." In April, Live Forever by Oasis was crowned the best British song of all time in a new poll ahead of the band's highly-anticipated reunion tour this summer. The Manchester band led by Noel and Liam Gallagher had an incredible 16 tracks in the top 100 results by Radio X. As well as Live Forever, 'Don't Look Back In Anger,' 'Slide Away' and 'Champagne Supernova' also made the top 10. It was Radio X's 10 th annual Best Of British with B&Q poll. The new live shows will also feature special guests Richard Ashcroft and Cast, who are friends with the band.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
British rapper branded 'pathetic' after pulling out of gig with minutes to go
Fans of Professor Green were gutted after the rapper proved to be a no-show at Chester 7's concert this weekend. On Saturday, the British chart-topper, who rose to fame in the early 2010s, was due to take to the stage at Winnington Rugby Club, Northwich, Cheshire, as the headline act. The crowd eagerly awaited his arrival ahead of his 9pm slot but was disappointed to be informed of a last-minute switch-up. With just minutes to go, the organiser received a message while standing outside waiting for him – right on 9 o'clock – that he was unwell and unable to perform. The 41-year-old Read All About It hitmaker's absence was later explained by Chester 7 in a social media statement. At 10pm, they wrote: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances, Professor Green is unable to perform at Chester 7s tonight. 'Whilst circumstances such as these are outside of our control, we apologise to all our amazing players. 'Officials and guests, and thank you for making Chester 7s 2025 an amazing experience for everyone.' Fortunately, the night wasn't short on good vibes, as English former rugby union player James Haskell did turn up to deliver a two-hour DJ slot beforehand. The 40-year-old athlete and I'm A Celeb star plays house music and produces his own tunes, having taken his sets all over the world to the likes of London, Dubai, and Ibiza. As for Professor Green, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, he is yet to comment publicly on pulling out of the gig with just moments to spare. However, it left a sour taste in the mouths of many, who admitted they felt let down. Taking to the comments section of his most recent post one day ago, @nicola.b_86 wrote: 'What happened last night?!? You were booked to headline a festival and then just didn't show up? Organisers said at the end of the night you hadn't communicated this to them and just did a no show?' 'Why did you not come to Chester7s?', @tors56 demanded to know. Also making their feeling crystal clear, @kayleigh_x87 commented underneath the announcement: '@professorgreen you massive let down!! 👎 not impressed 😤' Pro Green's cancelled gig comes just a day after he performed at Glastonbury Festival. The Just Be Good to Green musician was brought out as a surprise guest by Native James during his set on the BBC Introducing stage. Following some of his own hits, he introduced Green for a cameo, the UK hip hop veteran popping up for the duo's recent collab, Block. In fact, it is Green's Worthy Farm appearance that made fans suspicious, as @bexwidd commented on Insta after his absence from Chester 7 was confirmed: 'He stayed at Glastonbury! Very poor @professorgreen'. Agreeing, @splash_vw blasted him as 'pathetic', praising Haskell for still showing up despite the recent death of his father. The Glasto set still went down a treat regardless, as fans were keen to comment on how 'iconic' the moment was. More Trending 'I am so glad I was there to witness this', @vpulverise wrote on Instagram. Green himself commented: 'gassssssssssed ain't the word everyone go stream BLOCK NOWWWWWW … full circle moment – thank you @bbcintroducing and thank you @nativejamesuk@ and gang 🔥' No stranger to Glasto, having performed there several times before, Green hinted that he'll be returning in 2027 after the festival's fallow year. '@glastofest see you in 27 💃' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Holly Valance splits from billionaire husband after 13 years of marriage MORE: 54 years of groundbreaking LGBT TV that shaped what we watch today MORE: Chris Tarrant reveals heartbreaking reason he left TV career after 52 years
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Harry Styles goes undercover to party with pals at Glastonbury until early hours
Harry Styles was almost unrecognisable while at Glastonbury as he partied undercover to avoid being mobbed by fans as he watched his favourite performances Singer Harry Styles is perhaps one of the most recognised faces around the world due to the success of One Direction. But the singer appeared able to blend into the crowd at Glastonbury and party all weekend while watching his favourite acts perform on stage. Wearing what appears to be a blue shell suit jacket, Harry, 31, who kick started his career following his X Factor audition in 2010, teamed his look with a pair of red Adidas shorts. He also had a baseball cap on hand to further avoid recognition. The singer partied until dawn the next day at the Worthy Farm's party district Block9. He was spotted by The Sun partying with fellow singer Olivia Dean, who played a secret set on the Strummerville stage. He also went to see The 1975 perform on the iconic Pyramid Stage. An onlooker told the publication: "Harry was saying how excited he was to be at the festival and was hoping to go as incognito as possible so he could enjoy the music." They went on to say: "He was politely declining having photos taken with fans, as he wanted to keep a low profile and not draw too much attention." A source revealed to The Sun: "Harry knows how to party and was loving the vibe at the festival. He was seen sporting big shades and drinking backstage with pals, and was catching up with Olivia following her set." They added: "Harry has been spending lots of time in Germany at Berlin nightclub Berghain getting plenty of practice at late nights at Glasto." Harry's fellow One Direction star Louis Tomlinson was also basking in the music festival with his girlfriend Zara McDermott. However, the pair were not seen together. When it comes to VIPs at the annual Somerset festival, Harry was in good company as stars included actor James Norton and his new girlfriend Lily Allen. Earlier this month, the pair shared their first date at the Lido Festival where they watched Charli XCX perform. Lily called time on her marriage to David Harbour in December last year and wasted no time in moving on with her life as a single woman. It's believed the pair met on the celebrity dating app Reya. A source told The Sun: "Lily and James appeared to be on a date. They were together for the day and were chatting and laughing together as they watched Charli XCX. Lily was leaning into him at one point." They added: "She and James seemed really relaxed together and she was really making him giggle. They were drinking non-alcoholic beer and queued at the bar like all the other punters." The source continued: "People were doing double-takes when they saw them together. Because they're both on Raya, it seems like they might have matched with each other."
