I think I’m what’s known in the iTunes inner circles as a ‘podcat’. In other words, one of those cool cats who spend most of their spare time lounging around the house listening to podcasts.
I’m totally addicted.
Picking my favourite was hard, but anyone who knows me will know there’s one in particular that I don’t stop going on about, and that is, The High Low.
I was one of the early adopters of this wonderful show, and it’s been music to my ears for almost four years now.
The two hosts, Dolly and Pandora, both super smart, extremely witty journalists and published authors, have a weekly conversation which covers both highbrow and lowbrow culture. Some weeks it might be Brexit, others it could be the best / weirdest words added to the dictionary this year. Either way, it’s excellent.
I don’t really like watching or reading the news, especially after the year that was 2020. It’s too depressing. But I don’t want that to stop me from being informed. I’ve found that The High Low gives me the nuggets I need to stay on top of what’s going on in the world, equipping me with dinner party conversation starters (dinner parties, remember those?), as well as lots of light entertainment for the week.
But, I’ve come to realise the reason I love it most is that when I’m listening to the show, I lose myself in it. I forget about everything else, and I feel like I’m listening to a conversation between two friends. You know, the kind when you’re sat in a coffee shop and are secretly listening to everything the table next to you is saying as their conversation is much more interesting than your book? It’s a totally different feeling to the interview format that podcasts are now so affiliated with.
Dolly and Pandora have been the friends I’ve needed over the years, when I needed what a friend brings – warmth, love, laughter, distraction – but am not in a place where I’m able to welcome a ‘real’ friend in.
The High Low aired its final episode at the start of December 2020, but you can listen back through the archives via your favourite podcast platform.
