My Favourite Podcasts This Month | August 2018

Hey Guys! 

Over the past couple of months, I've been listening to podcasts instead of listening to music or watching YouTube videos while I'm getting ready in the morning. I love that with podcasts you don't have to physically watch it and can just put your headphones in or plug your speaker in and listen while multitasking. A few months ago I would listen to Estee Lalonde's podcast The Heart Of It while I was tidying my room or doing housework. After finishing her podcast series I started looking into other podcasts that I would enjoy, which led to me browsing through the popular section of Spotify podcasts. 

When I go to bed sometimes I struggle to fall asleep, so I've been finding different ways to help me relax. Sometimes I listen to soothing music or I put a Netflix show on just to have some noise in the background (I sometimes struggle to fall asleep when there is lots of silence. Bizarre I know!). After a while, I found podcasts were good to listen to when I couldn't sleep, so over the last couple of weeks, I've been switching between these three different podcasts when I'm getting ready in the morning or I'm struggling to fall asleep. 

On Spotify, there is such a huge selection of podcasts to choose from. There are so many different genres that there is something for everybody! 

(WARNING: SPOILERS)

Crime Junkie

I only started listening to Crime Junkie last week, but after a few episodes it automatically went on my favourites list. I'm a huge fan of murder mysteries and unsolved crimes/murders (highly recommend Buzzfeed's Unsolved True Crime videos with Shane and Ryan) so any stories of mysterious murders and bizarre crimes always capture my attention. When I first started listening to the podcast I wasn't sure if it would be as good as some other videos and podcasts I've listened to before about crime and murder. But the narration and stories are great! 

Crime Junkie is a weekly podcast where every Monday Ashley Flowers discusses a different crime story she has been researching. By dissecting all the facts and details she gives the full story behind the unsolved crime giving all the chilling information she has found while doing her research, which then leads on to who the suspects are and motives behind the crime or murder.   

The first episode I listened to was Episode 39: Serial Murder Todd Kohlhepp and straight away I was hooked! Ashley Flowers' narration is great. She gets straight to the point and gives all the facts straight up with suspense and chilling information. Each episode is different and the details she gives in each story is extensive and paints a full picture of the events taking place!

Some stories aren't as great as others and lack some suspense and thrill but I think that is more of a personal preference on what type of crimes and murder mysteries you find interesting. The Serial Murder Todd Kohlhepp was the most interesting I've heard so far due to the murders he committed and the number of people involved. Due to the fact it has more thrilling facts, I found it more gripping compared to other episodes. 

If you are crime-obsessed like me you'll love this podcast! They talk conspiracy theories, murders, wanted people and serial killers so definitely check them out over at Spotify. 

Happy Place

Happy Place is a podcast series by Fearne Cotton where she "talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them". Throughout the series, she discusses the subject of happiness, positivity and mental health with people such as Emma Willis, Gok Wan, Dawn French and Stephen Fry. It is a great series for those who need uplifting ❤

I started listening to Happy Place because I was looking for something that focused on positivity and getting over hardships. On Spotify, Happy Place is in their popular selection so I scrolled down the list and on seeing Dawn French pop up I clicked on her episode. I'm a huge fan of Dawn French from watching The Vicar of Dibley, French & Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous, Lark Rise to Candleford and from reading her autobiography a few years ago. I thought I knew a lot about Dawn French but actually, after listening to her conversation with Fearne I learnt quite a lot more about her and how she stays positive in the world of entertainment. Especially with divorce, journalists writing about her dad's death and her body image. 

I've also listened to Gok Wan's episode and I never knew he had such dark times in his life from his childhood to eating disorders and anorexia. He talked about when he left school because he got kicked out due to bad behaviour, working in his family's restaurant from the age of three and developing issues with self-confidence and body image. I've always known Gok to be a positive figure in entertainment, especially in helping women to learn to love themselves on his show How To Look Good Naked. But I never knew he had experienced such things as an eating disorder and had such a hard time when he was younger because he has always been so positive from what we see of him in the media and on television. But I think that just shows that nobody knows what is happening in someone's head and what they choose not to share. Gok Wan talks about many great things that keep him positive and it was so uplifting ❤

Another episode which really resonated with me was Stephen Fry's discussion with Fearne. As most people know Stephen Fry has battled with mental health for quite a while and now he is battling with prostate cancer. Listening to his episode was so enlightening. One thing he said was "why are we ashamed of the bodies we didn't choose to be given and have no control over" which I couldn't stop thinking about. He is so right and I think Stephen Fry is such a positive role model to those who have struggled because he reflects so much positivity. He has had the hardest of times due to coming out about his sexuality, getting criticised for marrying a man 30 years younger than him and then having to deal with his mental health and battle with cancer, and throughout this, he demonstrates how you can get through it with a positive attitude ❤

This series is great if you are feeling a little lost and need a boost to get you back in the right direction. Fearne Cotton narrating the podcast is great, she listens to each person's incredible story so attentively and lets them get everything off their chest without asking too many intrusive questions. 

Shane and Friends

Shane and Friends is a bit of an older series compared to Crime Junkie and Happy Place, starting in 2013 and ending back in 2017 with no new series appearing in 2018. Shane and Friends is also only available on Apple Podcasts instead of Spotify, so instead of my Spotify playlist, I also use my Apple Podcast app to listen to Shane and Friends and for looking up other podcasts that I might enjoy. 

 Narrated by YouTuber Shane Dawson and his co-host Jessie Buttafuoco (who is hilariously sassy) every Friday an hour-long episode would be uploaded which was described as "non-stop tea spilling, shade throwing and overall hilarity". Where Shane and Jess would "dig deep into the lives of their celebrity guests by asking brutally honest questions that others might not have the balls to ask". 

Shane has lots of guests on the show such as Joey Graceffa, James Charles, Tyler Oakley, Trisha Paytas, Tana Mongeau, Jenna Marbles, and the very well known Michelle Visage. He has had a lot of well-known influences on the podcast, most of them being fellow YouTube stars and some being viral internet sensations. The topics of discussion differ depending who they have invited on the show, so when Michelle Visage was a guest they discussed Celebrity Big Brother and Ru Paul's Drag Race. Whereas, with other guests, he'll discuss rumours that haven't been addressed, conspiracy theories, what is going on in popular culture, what is going on in their personal lives and what is happening with other celebrities. 

I haven't listened to all five seasons of the podcast as I tend to select the episodes I'd prefer to listen to with guests that I'm interested in, as some of the guests I'm not a fan of or the topic of discussion isn't something I'd find funny. The funniest one I've listened to is Episode 77 with Drew Monson and Garrett Watts, when those two and Shane are all together they are so funny and the conversation topics they have are hilarious! Another episode I really enjoyed was Episode 79 Conspiracy Theories and Trying Acupuncture because other than crime and murder mysteries I love conspiracy theories (especially Shane's conspiracy theory videos) so listening to different conspiracies is time well spent ❤

Shane's podcast isn't as PG as Crime Junkie and Happy Place as it is more of a comical podcast discussing crude topics and funny experiences, so there aren't as many serious topics discussed compared to the other podcasts I've been listening to. Shane and Friends is the podcast I go to when I need some comedy and something light-hearted to laugh about.  

Let me know in the comments below what podcasts you are listening to at the moment and if you have any recommendations ❤

See you soon!

Amy x