The 50 best podcasts to listen to in 2024

Okay, we know. It’s ‘Serial’. It’s been around since 2014. But this podcast is an absolute unadulterated cult classic, and for good reason. Series one changed the scope of the podcast world forever, paving the way for every brilliant investigative true crime podcast you’ve listened to this year. The first season delves into a murder case, for which the victim’s ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was convicted. Following the podcast and subsequent media attention, in 2022, he was released. Season three was equally as groundbreaking, exploring the day-to-day happenings of an American courthouse. The best part? Season four is reportedly on its way. Find us a podcast as influential as ‘Serial’ – we’ll wait. 

Some podcasts are funny. Some podcasts are scary. Some of them leave you with your jaw hanging open for most of it. And that’s exactly what you can expect from ‘Hooked on Freddie’, which tells the story of a man and his, er, relationship with a famous dolphin. We’re not going to get into it any more then that, but just know you’ll be hooked (get it?) from beginning to end. Ella Doyle

If you find yourself getting ridiculously invested in drama involving complete strangers, then Normal Gossip is the podcast for you. Each episode features host Kelsey McKinney and a special guest as they dive into an anonymous morsel of gossip submitted by listeners. Even though you don't know any of the people involved, you still feel the rush of hearing extremely juicy gossip as if they're close friends. (And it will not stop you from forming strong opinions of everyone involved!)

'Nam is the subject of The Ringer's endlessly fascinating ‘Do We Get To Win This Time? How Hollywood Made the Vietnam War’ podcast – and specifically 'Nam movies: the great, the totally out-there, and the ones with John Wayne in them. Hear Oliver Stone talking Platoon, revisit the controversy of The Deer Hunter, and have a toke on whatever the cast and crew of ‘Apocalypse Now’ was smoking back in the Philippines' jungle in 1976. There's real IQ in the storytelling, too, as host Brian Raftery explores what the war's ever-evolving filmography says about America.

Comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan have turned the dumpster fire that is British politics into a podcast. And it slaps. Weekly episodes cover hot political news of the week,  from Tories Morris Dancing at lockdown parties to Speedy Sue trying to get out of a speeding ticket. It’s chatty, clever, funny and proudly partisan; Nish is a liberal standup; Coco’s nickname’s ‘leftwing Barbie’. But it’s what you’d expect from the sister pod of ‘Pod Save America’, the podcast launched in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, by former Obama staffers. Tune in, if only to hear the top tier nicknames pinned to Westminster Frontbenchers. 

When dual strikes shut down Hollywood, this biweekly chat between five late-night hosts debuted as a pleasant enough listen. But the strike-supporting podcast hit hysterical heights at episode five, when a confusingly coordinated ‘Dating Game’ clone made Jimmy Fallon the punching bag for the rest of the crew – and for the remainder of the limited series’ run. The resulting conversation between him and Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver is an absolute joy that balances industry anecdotes with plenty of quick-witted ribbing.