Table of Contents
It’s not my place to define a man by his romantic relationships, but if you’ve heard of Travis Kelce, you might know him more as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend than as an NFL star.
But he is also a podcaster, and not just any podcaster, but a… landed a $100 million deal with Amazon-owned Wondery for New Heights, the show he hosts with his brother Jason (a former The NFL star), which has become one of the most popular sports podcasts in the world since its launch in 2022. That’s a lot of money, especially for two already wealthy men at a time when every month seems to bring a headline about some podcast studio laying off staff and cutting budgets. At the same time, it might prove to be a shrewd investment, since Kelce and Swift are rarely out of the headlines. It does, however, have the crazy effect of making Joe Rogan’s estimated $250 million deal with Spotify, the largest of its kind, look a little low by comparison, or even Call Her Daddy’s $100 million contract with SiriusXM.
If the Kelce brothers can raise $100 million after just two years of podcasting (Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper has been at it for six years, the internet’s favorite hipster Joe Rogan, 15 – give the man a holiday) and with a fraction of his numbers, what exactly do the figures mean? It’s not entirely clear what these huge numbers will mean for the future of podcasting, but perhaps it’s best for those in the big leagues to enjoy it while it lasts, and for podcast creators in general to remember that “celebrity” doesn’t always mean “best.”
Read on for our picks of the week, from a paean to The Godfather to the worst podcast ever (yes, really). As always, you can email newsletters@theguardian.com with your comments, suggestions and general thoughts on the podcast.
Hannah J. Davies
Deputy Editor, Newsletters
Selections of the week
Mo Gilligan: Beginning, Middle and End
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Mo Gilligan is as adorable as ever in his new podcast series, inviting celebrity guests including George the Poet, Aisling Bea and Joel Dommett to talk about their careers and the legacy they want to leave behind. First up is Jonathan Ross, who goes on a non-stop spiel, with brilliant anecdotes such as how he started his legendary star-studded Halloween parties and the time he showed Eminem his laundry room. Hannah Verdier
Famously… Winona
BBC Sounds, all episodes are now available
For her first podcast, Maisie Williams has decided to tell the story of her idol Winona Ryder so far. Why now? Well, Ryder is back in the new Beetlejuice sequel and her life has certainly had its ups and downs, from being Tim Burton’s favourite to that infamous shoplifting arrest to a career resurrection via Stranger Things. But it’s still a light concept for six episodes. Hollie Richardson
The Godfather: A film we can’t refuse
Audible, weekly episodes
After 50 years of universal praise, what more is there to say about The Godfather? Host Rebecca Keegan finds plenty, with help from Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Talia Shire. Lots of ground is covered, from tender family dynamics to Francis Ford Coppola’s approach to improvisation. High voltage
City of scams
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Do you like stories about book thieves, heavy metal hustlers, arson, fraud and deception? Then James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, who also hosted McMillion$ and The Big Conn, are your men. They unravel twisted stories, wild scams and almost unbelievable tales in this wildly entertaining podcast. High voltage
The worst podcast
Widely available, weekly episodes starting September 4.
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to your mother?” Filmmaker and “reformed curmudgeon” Alan Zweig quizzes his guests about the bad things on his deliberately depressing podcast. Hemorrhoids, brutal failures and major regrets are all on the discussion list, and Zweig doesn’t know in advance who he’s going to interview. High voltage
There’s a podcast for that.
This week, Ella Braidwood choose five of the best podcasts of The outdoorsfrom explorers on their wildest adventures to a practical hiking manual.
The By Land Podcast
The By Land podcast is packed with practical tips for getting out into the wilderness and advice on the best gear to use. Each episode, hosted by Emory Wanger, who started the podcast after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada (above), features an interview with a guest. Many of these interviews are with industry experts, offering an overview of the best gear for camping, hiking, mountaineering, and more. There are also interviews with outdoor enthusiasts, such as David Daley, who talks about hiking with his three sons, and Bailey Bremner, who brings her dogs along on her adventures.
People on foot
In this podcast, former BBC executive Matthew Bannister invites top folk musicians to take them on their favourite walks around the places that inspire their music. It’s a great way to discover the UK, from the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland to the River Rede in Northumberland, and episodes often include a performance. Ingeniously filmed Among the biggest names to have appeared are Johnny Flynn at Hackney Marshes in east London and Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path, on the South West Coast Path.
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The solution for outdoor activities
Journalist Liv Bolton was inspired to launch The Outdoors Fix in 2019 after walking around New Zealand’s South Island. In each episode, Bolton interviews a different guest who has made the outdoors a major part of their life, including Munira Ali, who walks all of London’s parks and green spaces; Debbie Croydon, an open water swimming coach; and special forces veteran Chris Gasking, who previously broke a record by climbing the Lake District’s Wainwrights. The podcast offers advice on a wide range of outdoor activities, including open water swimming, cycling and landscape photography, and Bolton does well to highlight women and people of colour.
The Adventure Podcast
Launched in 2018, The Adventure podcast is a source of inspiration. In its long-running weekly episodes, host Matt Pycroft interviews a range of guests about their achievements in the natural world, from mountaineers to tree climbers to Arctic scientists. Guests include Robert Lester, who canoed 1,300 miles down the Columbia River in 2023; freediver Hanli Prinsloo, who founded I Am Water, an ocean conservation trust; and long-distance cyclist Laura Massey-Pugh, who holds a world record for circumnavigating the globe on a tandem bicycle with her husband Steven Massey.
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
Since launching in 2020, The Nugget Climbing Podcast has amassed a strong following through its interviews with world-class climbers and coaches. Hosted by Steven Dimmitt, guests include Alex Honnold, who rose to fame after free-soloing Yosemite’s El Capitan, with no protective gear; rock climber Anak Verhoeven, who won the World Games in 2017; and Jesse Grupper, who competed in this summer’s Olympics. Episodes are long, often around the two-hour mark, so it’s good for background listening. The podcast also regularly posts videos of its featured climbers on Instagram.
Why not try…?
From shocking experiments to childhood lobotomies, the BBC’s medical history podcast The human subject It’s not for the faint of heart.
If you’ve had Olympic and Paralympic fever this summer, check out Sportswhich delves into topics such as the history of breakdancing and pioneering Asian-American athletes.
