In this episode of Pod, Actually, Andrew talks about his favorite podcast: Mindscape with Sean Carroll.

Andrew discovered Mindscape while trying to improve his own teaching. A deep dive into Richard Feynman’s lectures led him into quantum mechanics, Bayesian logic, and eventually to Carroll’s long-form, curiosity-driven interviews.

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Jocelyn talks about her favorite podcast: Bitch Sesh, the cult-favorite show devoted to The Real Housewives franchise.

Jocelyn calls it a “guilty pleasure,” but what unfolds is something more interesting: a portrait of why we turn to “ridiculous” television, why warmth matters more than expertise, and how much we need to like the people whose voices keep us company.

🔗 Links

• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

In this episode of Pod, Actually, Will (an independent audio producer and documentary maker ) talks about the podcast that has shaped his thinking for two decades: On the Media.

Will calls it his “portable journalism school.” A longtime listener, he describes a deep admiration for host Brooke Gladstone, whose perceptive interviews and narrative framing continue to challenge and inspire him.

Will also talks about The Read, a very different kind of show that he finds funny, bracing, and culturally illuminating — and about his hesitation to dive into highly immersive narrative series that take over your life.

This episode is about loyalty, literacy, narrative framing, and what it means to feel part of a show’s ecosystem.

Will’s Top Five Podcasts

1. On the Media
2. The Read
3. Heavyweight
4. Love Me
5. Goodbye to All This

🔗 Links

• Learn more about Will’s audio work here: https://aquifermedia.com/
• If you’re tying the knot, don’t miss Will's beautifully crafted wedding podcasts: https://listenwith.us/
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support Pod, Actually on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

Today on Pod, Actually, we are joined by Giorgia, a visual artist and science communication manager from London. Giorgia talks to us about the podcast she listens to “almost religiously” every morning: Today In Focus from The Guardian.

For Giorgia, In Focus isn’t background noise. It’s ritual. It’s dog-walk companion. It’s commute soundtrack. It’s how she makes sense of a relentless news cycle without drowning in it.

Giorgia also shares how listening shapes conversations with her partner and friends — and why she’d notice if the show disappeared tomorrow.

It’s a thoughtful conversation about information, identity, and the small daily habits that quietly anchor us.

🔗 Links

• Listen to Today In Focus: https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Learn more about Giorgia's art practice at: 
  https://www.gioeucalyptus.com/
• And you can follow Giorgia on Instagram, where you can see pictures of her beloved dog, Yana: https://www.instagram.com/giorgiasiriaco 
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

Today on Pod, Actually we’re joined by Nina, who brings her curiosity, candor, and climate passion to the table as she tells us why she loves Climate One.

Climate One is a long-running public radio show that tackles the climate crisis from every angle: science, policy, business, activism—and yes, the messy human feelings underneath it all.

Nina explains what keeps her coming back:

• the calm, thoughtful tone
• the refusal to flatten complex debates
• the way the show holds space for nuance without drifting into despair

We also talk about:

• how to stay informed without burning out
• the emotional toll of following climate news
• why conversation still matters
• and what it means to engage with big, existential issues in a way that feels grounding rather than overwhelming

This episode is about finding clarity in chaos and about the podcasts that help us make sense of the world.

🔗 Links

• Listen to Climate One: https://www.climateone.org
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

Today on Pod, Actually, Wil takes us somewhere unexpected: the cockpit.

His favorite podcast is Airline Pilot Guy, a show that blends aviation nerdery, technical deep dives, listener mail, and a whole lot of camaraderie. And yes, even if you’ve never set foot on a plane (other than 23B, middle seat), this one might surprise you.

Wil talks about:

• Why expertise is attractive (even when you don’t understand every word)
• The comfort of ritual and recurring segments
• How niche podcasts build deeply loyal communities
• And what it feels like to love a show that most of your friends have never heard of

It’s an episode about obsession, professionalism, and the quiet thrill of listening to people who really know what they’re talking about.

Because sometimes your favorite podcast isn’t the buzziest.  It’s the one that feels like home at 30,000 feet.

🔗 Links

• Listen to Airline Pilot Guy: https://airlinepilotguy.com/
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

Today on Pod, Actually, Jenny talks to us about why she loves The Moth Radio Hour, and why live, true storytelling hits differently.

We talk about the bravery of standing on a stage with nothing but your own experience, the strange intimacy of hearing a room react in real time, and why imperfect, human stories often land harder than the most polished productions.

Sometimes it’s just a voice, a pause, and a sentence that makes you sit up and think: oh.

🔗 Links

• Listen to The Moth Radio Hour: https://themoth.org
• Read the companion piece on Substack: https://podactually.substack.com
• Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodActually
• Follow Pod, Actually on Instagram: www.instagram.com/podactuallypodcast

📩 Tell us about the podcast you love: [email protected]

Welcome to Pod, Actually, a podcast about people's favorite podcasts. 

Each episode, a guest tells us the show they love most — the one they evangelise about, fall asleep to, argue about, or credit with changing their brain chemistry.

We talk about why that podcast matters to them. What it says about their taste. Their obsessions. Their inner life.

It turns out that when someone tells you their favourite podcast, they’re telling you who they are.

If you love podcasts, recommendations, and conversations that go slightly deeper than “what are you into?”, this is your show.

Follow us on Instagram @podactuallypodcast.

And subscribe to our Substack at @podactuallypodcast for curated recommendations and bonus thoughts.

Welcome to Pod, Actually.