To the Moon and back

Families moving from Pakistan to the UK during the 60s and 70s maintained connections with their homeland by sharing detailed updates on family matters through cassette tapes. Today, these families may still possess C-60 tapes featuring a grandmother’s voice from Kashmir interspersed with children imitating performances from Top of the Pops. The collection of podcasts focuses more on the emotional resonance evoked by unearthing these tapes rather than the cassettes themselves. DAVID HEPWORTH (paraphrased)

Couples counselling is a boom industry, but there’s no doubting who is Therapy Queen when it comes to trying to fix relationships: the all-seeing Esther Perel. A TED talk phenomenon, Perel is on to another winner with her summer 2024 special, The Arc of Love, as we listen along with her to myriad real-life stories of love gone wrong. Perel is banking on people recognising themselves somewhere along the line, and she’s probably not wrong. SIMON O’HAGAN

In the Clint Eastwood film “Richard Jewell,” viewers would recall the bomb explosion at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games led both the media and FBI to mistakenly focus on the security guard who thwarted the attack. However, as this captivating investigative podcast reveals, that was merely the start of the tale. The bomber, eventually identified as a white supremacist, had more targets in mind, making this a chilling real-life crime that shook America to its core. JAMES MOTTRAM

Caroline Frost delves into the unsung heroes behind the scenes of sports, such as team chefs at major events and photographers on the Tour de France. She interviews Tony Britten, a composer who blended Handel’s work to create the Champions League anthem, leaving many football fans puzzled during its debut.

Instead of focusing on his famous colleagues like Piers Morgan and Richard Madeley during interviews, it’s actually detrimental to Dr. Hilary Jones and his new series, as his expertise lies in providing insightful healthcare advice. The casual conversations about appearance with guests may seem trivial, but they lead to enlightening discussions on topics such as liver disease, skin cancer risks, and the impact of your postal code on lifespan. So, it’s important to appreciate these interactions for the valuable health-related information they offer, rather than focusing solely on their superficial aspects. ANNA JONES

As a long-time listener of various podcasts spanning multiple genres, I find myself intrigued by this unique blend of “Desert Island Discs” and “Room 101,” a show that delves into the depths of musical disdain with an interesting twist. Having lived in several places around the world, I’ve encountered my fair share of questionable music choices, and this podcast seems to tap into that universal experience we all have – the song that makes us cringe every time it comes on the radio.

Having recently watched a captivating series about the Pink Singers, London and Europe’s longest-standing LGBTQ+ choir, I found myself deeply moved by the second episode, which featured one of its oldest members, Philip Rescorla, discussing the profound impact of HIV and AIDS on the singers. His heartfelt and insightful narrative was a powerful reminder of the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community during those difficult times.

In this investigative series, we delve into the story of how three wheat traders from Australia found themselves entangled in the nation’s largest corruption case. This scandal, which involved $300 million being secretly sent to Saddam Hussein before the Iraq War, is the central focus. The podcast Secrets We Keep delves deep into Australia’s hidden corners, with previous episodes exploring shotgun marriages and Cold War spying. Richard Baker conducts interviews with those involved in this case. TOM GOULDING (journalist) is the one reporting it.