Podcast Playlist

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

Do the web’s harms outweigh its benefits? We investigate.

The internet is a mess of contradictions. Scrolling through your feed helps you unwind…but it’s bad for your mental health. Maybe you’ve found community online…something many others have found through hateful ideologies and cults.

It all begs the question: Is the internet a net negative? All of this week’s podcasts help us attempt to answer this question.

Featuring: ICYMI, Endless Thread, Boys Like Me, Reply All, 99% Invisible, Maintenance Phase

Self-help doesn't need to be self-critical. Need help sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? Or have you ditched them altogether? (We support you either way.) Whatever your strategy, this time of year many of us are thinking about self-improvement. We’ve curated some of our favourite self-help and lifestyle podcasts to help guide you through whatever changes you want to make—without beating yourself up!

Featuring: TED Radio Hour, Maintenance Phase, Life Kit, Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, Adult ISH

From music, to history, to true crime: new podcasts to start your 2022 off right.

Want to sing like Ariana Grande? You’ll need a bit of her natural talent. But talent isn’t everything! Her vocal coach Eric Vetro can help you find your voice—even if you think you can’t sing. Eric joins Leah this episode to share how he got his start coaching stars and what he thinks star power is made of. And If you think you can’t sing, you’ll want to hear this—Eric wants you to rethink that.

Plus, we have a whole slate of new podcasts we think you should hear to start your year. Slow Burn is back for its sixth season, covering the 1992 L.A. Riots. The podcast Death By Unknown Event revisits the still-unsolved case of Vancouver nurse Cindy James. And will nuclear energy be a key player in Canada’s fight against climate change? A new podcast dissects potential climate crisis solutions, including the pros and cons of expanding nuclear energy.

Featuring: Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro, Death By Unknown Event, Race Against Climate Change, Slow Burn

This week we're re-releasing one of our fave episodes from May 2021.

You may know our guest today, Jamie Loftus, from one of her many podcast endeavors. My Year in Mensa, The Bechdel Cast, Lolita and most recently The Aack Cast. This week she stops by to share her fave pods and talk about her deep dive into Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.

What do you think of when you hear Lolita? Heart-shaped sunglasses? Lana del Rey? Romance? Critics have called it a great love story. But look deeper into Vladimir Nabokov's novel and you might instead see a cautionary tale full of predatory behavior told by an unreliable narrator. So why does that name still conjure images of love and lollipops? You might remember host Jamie Loftus from My Year In Mensa (featured on our recommendation chain) or from The Bechdel Cast. She first learned about Lolita at age twelve and has had a complicated relationship with it ever since. That relationship inspired her to create Lolita Podcast, a deep dive into the history and cultural legacy of Lolita. Jamie joins Elamin this week to talk all things Lolita Podcast. And she brought along some of her favorite podcasts to play for us!

Featuring: Lolita, You're Wrong About, There are no girls on the internet.

As a note before you listen: Jamie and Elamin's conversation touches on mature themes, including child abuse and pedophilia. Please take care while listening.

This week we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from June 2021.

History is full of crime, from the stolen artifacts that fill museums to the CIA's experiments in mind control. This episode we're playing riveting new true crime podcasts that give us windows into the past.

Featuring: Tenfold More Wicked, Unascertained, Brainwashed, Stuff The British Stole, Badlands

It's hard to imagine wanting to tell anyone the most embarrassing moments of your adolescence, let alone release them as a podcast—But it's exactly what happens on the series Mortified.

Today on the show, Mortified co-creator and host of Neil Katcher joins us to share his podcast picks.

Featuring: Mortified, Ooh You're In Trouble, Maintenance Phase, Dolly Parton's America, Everything Is Alive.

This episode we’re playing the shows we kept coming back to in 2021. The ones we binged all the way through. The ones that had us constantly checking our feeds for new episodes. And you’ll get to hear why we love them in our own words.

Keep an eye on our website for our extended list of the Best of 2021— this episode is only the beginning!

Featuring: Story Time with Seth Rogen, Aack Cast, Do You Know Mordechai?, Here Lies Me, ICYMI, Hanging Out With Audiophiles

If you’re gathering for the holidays this year, will you be busting out the Monopoly board? Did your Animal Crossing island or playing Dungeons & Dragons on Zoom help you get through pandemic lockdowns? Even if you’re not an avid gamer, you probably have lots of memories attached to games. This episode we’re recommending podcasts about all kinds of ‘em.

Featuring: Sidedoor, Dungeons and Daddies, Trampoline Hall, Love Me, The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast

In Part Four of our recommendation chain, every podcaster we feature recommends the next podcast. This chain links together steamy fiction, house plants, and the wildest food podcast you’ve ever heard.

Featuring: On The Ledge, The Allusionist, MOONFACE, Richard's Famous Food Podcast, How We Survive