Spooky stories of possessed people from the stars of Paranormal Activity

TOHas anyone else hit a productivity low thanks to the Olympics? Like me, you’ve probably had a small but very distracting iPlayer window open in the corner of your screen all day, only to go straight home, turn on the sports on TV, ignore the dirty dishes, and fall asleep.

What happens when you are – shocked, horrified – in motion? BBC Radio 5 Live and The Official Podcast of the Olympic Games They’ve been great for keeping up with the action off-screen (I may have cried while listening to the women’s triathlon on the way to work). But they’re just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to podcasts that extend your journey to Paris 2024. As the medals are handed out and the sporting heroes emerge, there are shows that take you much deeper into the personalities themselves.

Simone Biles spoke about how she thought America hated her after Tokyo 2020 in Call her daddyKeely Hodgkinson’s confidence in winning gold was palpable in The High Performance PodcastTom Daley’s Desert Island Discs It’s a sweet listenMondo Duplantis speaks with the same naturalness about being a pole vault champion in Winning mentality Team GB’s lead psychologist Jess Thom speaks candidly in the Guardian’s Science Weekly about preparing athletes for failure, success and what happens when they have to return to normal life. Plus, Adam Peaty has a deep and meaningful chat with, ahem, father-in-law Gordon Ramsay in All about… the Olympic Games.

But, if you’re completely fed up with all this sport, don’t worry. Our top podcast picks of the week offer a nice escape, whether it’s paranormal activities, celebrity daydreams or a stroll through Borough Market. We’ve also rounded up the five best podcasts featuring A-listers (which will surely one day also include an Olympic superstar and viral sensation, South Korean silver medalist shooter Kim Yeji).

Hollie Richardson
TV editing assistant

Selections of the week

Paranormal Activity: True Stories of Possession
Audible, all episodes available
Fifteen years after Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat terrified a generation in the film Paranormal Activity, they are back to do the same in podcast format. Sloat is a big fan of spiritual exploration, so he is in the perfect position to present the story of Watseka Wonder, in which a 14-year-old girl claimed she was possessed by a dead woman for 16 weeks. “Witch Father” Griffin Ced is on hand to explain more about possession, with surprisingly moving explanations. Hannah Verdier

The Charge: The Empire of Blood
Widely available, weekly episodes.
A remake of the classic true crime podcast, with bonus material. Two drug dealers ran a Bronx corner in the 1990s, with mink-wearing, champagne-swilling boss Calvin Buari at the helm. But when his protégé framed him for a double homicide, their relationship soured as he protested his innocence. High voltage

Dream space
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Gemma Cairney invites guests including Afrodeutsche, Zawe Ashton and David Hoyle to let their imaginations run wild in the second season of Manchester venue Factory International’s fun and inspiring podcast. Haçienda royalty DJ Paulette delivers waterfall daydreams that fuse into “thumping, driving techno” in her dose of meditative escapism. High voltage

Talks in the district
Widely available, weekly episodes.
“It’s always barbecue season,” says butcher Dom McCourt in the first episode of this new series that plays like a stroll through London’s Borough Market. Presenter Giulia Crouch talks to street vendors about their history and produce, bringing out their enthusiasm and recommendations on what to eat. It’s like being there, but without the annoying crowds. High voltage

In the dark
Widely available, weekly episodes.
Madeleine Baran has spent four years investigating the murder of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, by US Marines. Nearly 20 years after the massacre, Baran’s painstaking investigation is paying off as she uncovers information the US government tried to hide and risks her life by speaking to the loved ones of the victims in Haditha. High voltage

There’s a podcast for that.

This week, Hannah Verdier choose five of the best podcasts with celebritiesfrom a star-studded dystopian drama to Rosamund Pike’s account of Edith Wilson’s time replacing her husband Woodrow as “president.”

Sandra
The premise of this podcast is way scarier than an AI takeover: What if your personal assistant at home was driven by the decisions of actual human beings? Alia Shawkat is Helen, a new employee at a tech company who must deal with life in her hometown, a divorce, and questions she doesn’t know the answers to. Ethan Hawke is her boss, who has high standards, and Kristen Wiig is Sandra, a Siri-like assistant. Despite the premise, it’s more rooted in real life than science fiction, with a cliffhanger ending that keeps listeners wanting more and a strong cast that makes it all surprisingly believable.

Submarine
There aren’t enough podcasts that can be described as witty and sexy, which is why Jason Derulo’s thriller makes a big splash. Derulo is Nico, an investigator on one last job. But when he’s sent to track down a woman on the run (Alexandra Shipp), they start off flirtatious with smooth talk and debate over cocktails. Cue: romance, drama, and ultimately danger on a remote island. With a lush soundscape, episodes under half an hour, and an album of Derulo songs, it’s the kind of podcast that fits right in at the beach.

Sound of sleep
The concept of celebrities reading bedtime stories is soothing and relaxing, and Jamie Dornan caused quite a stir as the series’ first narrator (the man could read the instructions on a rickety old air fryer and still sound irresistible). Throw in a vivid description of a Mexican beach, an Amazon rainforest and the sunset in a tranquil Swedish forest, and you’ve got the recipe for a delightful nap. Sienna Miller also proved a hit, bringing things closer to home with a trip to a stormy English port. Twenty minutes of celebrity chatter really does work to lull you to sleep.

Edith!
Crooked Media, the political podcast powerhouse, presents this drama based on the life of Edith Wilson, who became de facto president of the U.S. when Woodrow Wilson was incapacitated following a stroke. Rosamund Pike is brilliant in the title role, bringing Veep-like nuances to the historical events. “I wasn’t the first female president,” she says. “I was a patriot who helped the country hold together while the president… uh… took a little nap.” The script is solid, the action is fictional, but this quirky take on history is realistic enough to be almost believable.

The Goop Podcast
If you like to relax, light a vaginal candle and adjust your yoni egg while listening to the world’s biggest advocate of expensive wellness do her thing, then Gwyneth Paltrow’s podcast is a must-watch. There’s no shortage of big-name guests sharing their wisdom, including Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Kerry Washington. Skeptics of Paltrow’s particular brand might prefer to skip the episode with a gong bath that promises to “floss our brains and clear our minds,” but believers will be happy they saved themselves £50 by getting a free sonic massage at home. Ommmm.

Why not try…?

• Jane MacSorley (I Am Not Nicholas) returns with more disturbing true crimes in Intrigue: Worse than murder.

• Second season of the BBC series The good and the bad billionairewith business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng looking at how Tiger Woods, George Soros and others made their fortunes.

• Black history, for real puts a lively spin on little-known facts, and “occasionally reveals a bit of history.”