When Kirat Assi met a man named Bobby online, her life changed forever. Their long-distance love story was a slow burn, lasting for ten years. They texted and called every day, sharing dreams of starting a life together. In all that time Kirat and Bobby never met in person. 

Kirat then learned that Bobby wasn't real – and she was the victim of an elaborate catfishing scam.

If that setup has you hooked, you'll understand why so many people are obsessed with the podcast Sweet Bobby. This week Leah welcomes the host, investigative journalist Alexi Mostrous, for a spoiler-free interview you won't want to miss. 

Leah also talks to the creator of a new CBC podcast all about exploring grief and memory. Alex McKinnon's brother Paul was killed thirty years ago by a speeding police car, at only fourteen years old. As time went on, Alex's memories of Paul became hazy and then went away. In his podcast Sorry About the Kid, he explores his childhood grief and tries to get those memories back. 

Featuring: Sweet Bobby, Sorry About The Kid, Sharing Space with Dr. Roberta Bondar

Alexi Mostrous on his hit podcast Sweet Bobby, plus February's best new shows

Hosted by Leah-Simone Bowen, Podcast Playlist's podcast obsessed producers help you find the best podcasts out there. Each week we curate fresh, exciting and thoughtful stories to help you unearth new podcasts to add to your rotation. From true crime to comedy, from current affairs to audio fiction and everything in between. Each week we take you on a journey with lots of discoveries along the way. 
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This week we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from this season. 
 Life coaches sell promises of prosperity, health and happiness. But do coaches actually help you achieve your goals? That's the question at the heart of Season 3 of The Dream. 
 Having tackled pyramid schemes and the world of wellness, coaching seemed like an obvious topic to explore next. Host and creator Jane Marie says that in many ways coaching combines tactics used to sell products in both the multi-level-marketing and wellness industries. 
 This week, Leah and Jane sit down to talk about the show and Jane's upcoming book Selling the Dream: The Billion Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans. Plus, we'll listen to some of Jane's favourite podcasts.  
 FEATURING: The Dream, This American Life, My Year In Mensa, Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel  
 For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

FLASHBACK: Jane Marie explores the MLM-to-life-coach pipeline

This week, we're sharing new and notable podcasts from June. 
 First, Todd Matthews was one of the first internet sleuths. He made it his life's mission to give unidentified bodies back their names, and helped create two databases as part of that goal. 
 For years, Todd was haunted by a cold case about two missing boys. One day, one of those boys called him.  
 The new podcast Hello, John Doe has that story. We hear from producer Kate Mishkin about working with Todd, making the show, and how an unexpected tragedy changed its meaning.  
 Plus, these days, it feels like online ads know exactly what we want—new shoes, the latest tech, a nine-acre island off the coast of Nicaragua… 
 Or at least, that was the case for Jayne Gaskin. She was surfing the web one day when she saw a shockingly affordable island for sale. The price was just too good to pass up, so Jayne abandoned a quaint life in the English countryside and moved there with her entire family.  
 While Jayne initially thought that her dreams had come true, not everything was as it seemed. The podcast The Price of Paradise explores the violent consequences of Jayne's decision.  
 Featured in this episode: Hello John Doe, The Price Of Paradise, Who Killed The Video Star: The Story of MTV, Go Touch Grass, Mortified 
 For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

The first cyber-sleuth, why you shouldn't buy an island online, and more of our June favourites

The Moth is one of the oldest shows in podcasting. In fact, it pre-dates the medium by several years, having begun in the founder’s living room in 1997.  
 Today, The Moth is an internationally touring live storytelling production and a popular podcast and radio show.  
 This week Leah sits down with The Moth’s senior director Meg Bowles to talk about The Moth’s new book, "A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding On and Letting Go," and about 27 years of helping everyday people bring their stories to life.  
 Plus, we’ll have more storytelling podcasts. Like Mortified, where we’ll hear host David Nadelberg read an extremely cringey love letter he wrote as a teenager in front of a live audience.   
 All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.  
 Featuring: The Moth, Grown, Mortified, Normal Gossip  
 Check out our episode with Kelsey McKinney from Normal Gossip  
 For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist 


The magic of storytelling with The Moth's Meg Bowles

This week on Podcast Playlist: Yo, Is This Racist has hilariously tackled questions about racism since 2011. Creator and host Andrew Ti tells us about the show’s evolution and shares his podcast picks. 
 Plus, every summer, the best and brightest teen girls in the US compete in the lucrative “Distinguished Young Women” competition. We get a direct look into the competition with podcaster and former competitor, Shima Oliaee.  
 Featuring: The Competition, Forever Is A Long Time, Yo Is This Racist?, Past My Bedtime 
 For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

Shima Oliaee (The Competition) and Andrew Ti (Yo, Is This Racist?) on their shows and what they're listening to

This week, we’re asking three podcasters to pitch their show to listeners, and we’ll hear a sample of each one.   
 We’re starting with George The Poet. His show is called Have You Heard George’s Podcast? It’s won tons of awards, including a Peabody—and if you haven’t heard it, we promise you’ve never heard another show like it.  
 Then, Leah sits down with Arshy Mann, host of COMMONS, to talk about why the new season of his show is all about work — the jobs we do, the conditions we work in, and why things feel like they’ve gotten so much harder for working people.  
 Plus, actor and comedian Allan McLeod will tell us about his new show, Walkin’ About. It’s a loving and funny tribute to the simple act of walking, the places it can take us, and the people we do it with.  
 For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.  


Alexi Mostrous on his hit podcast Sweet Bobby, plus February's best new shows

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