Nine lifestyle podcasts chosen by public relations professionals
New members of our Influence editorial board share the podcasts they turn to for insight, entertainment and ideas.
If you work in public relations or communications, you’ll already know the value of a great podcast. The best ones do more than just rescue you from the hustle and bustle of city life; they spark ideas and remind you that, occasionally, other people’s problems are way more entertaining than your own. That’s why our new Influence editorial board has pulled together nine of their favourites for the summer months ahead. These are the ones they return to for perspective, politics – and the occasional reality check.
Influence asked new members of our Influence editorial board to recommend the lifestyle podcasts that they listen to - and we tasked Ali Catterall to slip on his headphones, crank up the volume and discover why these downloadable delights are worth tuning in to.
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
Chosen by: Zainab Umar, content and communications manager, Open Contracting Partnership
Who wants to hear about failure? As it turns out, almost everybody – but not always out of sheer, delicious schadenfreude. Elizabeth Day’s long-running hit show invites guests to choose those things in life that haven’t gone right – and to unpack what those moments taught them. Conversations are candid, warm and often unexpectedly uplifting. For public relations professionals, working in an industry where reputations can turn from gold dust to brown stuff in the space of three headlines, these reflections on resilience, self-awareness and recovery are genuinely useful.
Find out more about How to Fail with Elizabeth Day.
Emma Gannon’s Ctrl Alt Delete
Chosen by: Roopa Ramaiya, head of EMEA PR, Procore Technologies
Emma Gannon’s podcast explores how we live and work in a digital world that rarely switches off. Conversations with guests including Greta Gerwig, Richard E Grant and Gillian Anderson cover burnout, boundaries and reinvention, making it particularly relevant for communications professionals navigating the demands of an always-on culture.
Find out more about Emma Gannon's Ctrl Alt Delete podcast.
Aspire with Emma Grede
Chosen by: Philippa Vass, managing director, PV Consulting
Grede is good. Especially when she’s talking to entrepreneurs and cultural leaders about what it takes to build something that actually lasts. These conversations are frank, practical – and for comms professionals or senior leaders, a sharp reminder of how business strategy, personal narrative and brand identity can successfully intertwine.
Find out more about Aspire with Emma Grede.
The Rest Is Politics
Chosen by: Harry Yeates, strategic communications leader
Almost certainly needs no introduction: one of the most downloaded podcasts in the UK sees Uncle Grumpy (Alastair Campbell) and Posh But Nice (Rory Stewart) bringing their insider, odd-couple energy to current affairs, policy and global events. Probably essential for anyone working in public affairs or reputation management – and grimly entertaining when Posh But Nice occasionally loses his rag, like the school’s chess club champ discovering one of the lower-sixth cheating.
Find out more about The Rest is Politics.
The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
Chosen by: Marie-Noelle Elissac-Foy, director, The Talent Factory
Molly McPherson pulls apart real-life brand mishaps and reputation messes, asking what the hell happened here, what should have happened – and why somebody, somewhere, thought it would all somehow fix itself on its own. If you like learning from other people’s public mistakes, this is a good one.
Find out more about The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson.
BBC Sounds news playlist
Chosen by: Laura Hamilton, content marketing manager, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
A curated mix of BBC news podcasts covering politics, global affairs and culture – all the things public relations pros absolutely, definitely intend to catch up on later. A good pick if you want to stay close to the constantly sloshing news cycle without letting it swallow your entire morning. But good luck with that.
Find out more about BBC Sounds news playlist.
Working Hard
Chosen by: Beth Lamey, senior manager, social media growth, GiveDirectly
Grace Beverley talks to founders, creators and operators about ambition, structure and the myth of having it all sorted, on a podcast that admits most work routines are held together with vibes, willpower and fraying bits of old Sellotape. So useful territory for social and digital communicators.
Find out more about Working Hard.
Ladies Who Launch
Chosen by: Tani Fatuga, manager, data Intelligence/reputation, risk & advisory, ChangeMakers
A solid listen for anyone interested in female-led brands and how trust is earned in markets where everyone claims to be disrupting something. For communicators, it’s a good window into how visibility, narrative and credibility come together when you’re trying to build a brand that lasts longer than a launch day hashtag.
Find out more about Ladies Who Lunch.
Radical with Amol Rajan
Chosen by: Tim Ridgway, strategic stakeholder engagement manager, Surrey County Council
Amol Rajan’s guests tend to be people who actually shape things (institutions, industries, the national mood) and conversations usually stretch far beyond the usual clipped soundbites routine. For PR and public affairs professionals, it’s valuable listening: a front-row seat to how senior figures frame their narratives, defend their decisions and try (with varying success) to steer the wider media weather.
Find out more about Radical with Amol Rajan.
Ali Catterall is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker whose writing has featured in the Guardian, Time Out, GQ, Film4, Word magazine and the Big Issue, among many others. Ali is also the writer and director of the 2023 film Scala!!!
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