Pacino, De Niro, and More Celebrate 50 Years of The Godfather

Far be it for me to define a man by his romantic relationships, but if you’ve heard of Travis Kelce, you may know him more as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend than because he’s an NFL star.

He is, however, also a podcaster, and not just any podcaster – he’s just landed a reported $100m deal with the Amazon-owned Wondery for New Heights, the show he hosts with his brother Jason, a former NFL star. Their podcast has become one of the most popular sports podcasts in the world since it launched in 2022. It’s a lot of cash, especially for two already-wealthy men at a time when every month seems to bring a headline about some podcast studio shedding staff and slashing budgets. At the same time, it could prove to be a shrewd investment, with Kelce and Swift rarely out of the headlines. It does have the mad effect of making Joe Rogan’s estimated $250m deal with Spotify seem a little low by comparison, or even Call Her Daddy’s $100m contract with SiriusXM.

If the Kelce brothers can command $100m after just two years of podcasting – Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper has been at it for six, Joe Rogan for 15 – then what exactly do figures even mean anymore? What these huge numbers will mean for the future of podcasting isn’t entirely clear. Still, maybe it’s best for those in the big leagues to enjoy it while it lasts, and for podmakers at large to remember that “celebrity” doesn’t always mean “better”.

Read on for our picks of the week, from a paean to The Godfather to the worst podcast ever (yes, really). You can always email your comments, suggestions, and general pod musings.

Mo Gilligan is as lovable as ever in his new podcast series, Beginning, Middle & End, as he invites famous guests such as George the Poet, Aisling Bea, and Joel Dommett to talk him through their careers and the legacy they want to leave behind. First up is Jonathan Ross, who goes into full motormouth mode, with brilliant anecdotes including how he started his legendary star-studded Halloween parties and the time he showed Eminem his laundry room.

For her first podcast, Famously … Winona, Maisie Williams has chosen to tell the story so far of her idol Winona Ryder. Why now? Well, Ryder returns in the new Beetlejuice sequel and her life has certainly had its ups and downs – from Tim Burton darling to that infamous shoplifting arrest to a career resurrection via Stranger Things. But it remains a slight concept for six episodes.

After 50 years of universal praise, what more is there to say about The Godfather? Host Rebecca Keegan finds lots, with help from Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire. So much ground is covered, from tender family dynamics to Francis Ford Coppola’s approach to improvisation. The podcast, The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse, is available on Audible with episodes released weekly.

Do you like stories about book thieves, heavy metal con-merchants, and arson, fraud, and deception? Then James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, who also hosted McMillion$ and The Big Conn, are your men. They lift the lid on twisted stories, wild hustles, and almost unbelievable tales in their thunderingly entertaining podcast, Scamtown. Episodes are widely available and released weekly.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to your mother? Film-maker and “reformed curmudgeon” Alan Zweig grills guests about the bad stuff on his intentional downer of a podcast, The Worst Podcast. Haemorrhoids, brutal failure, and big regrets are on the discussion list, with Zweig unaware of who he’s interviewing in advance. Episodes are widely available from September 4.

This week, we chose five of the best podcasts on the great outdoors, from explorers on their wildest adventures to a practical handbook on hiking.

The By Land Podcast is packed with practical advice on getting into the outdoors, with tips on the best kit to use. Hosted by Emory Wanger, who launched the podcast after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, each episode features a guest interview. Many of these are with industry experts, offering an overview of the best equipment for camping, thru-hiking, mountaineering and more. There are also interviews with outdoor enthusiasts including David Daley – on hiking with his three children – and Bailey Bremner, who takes her dogs on her adventures.

In the podcast, Folk On Foot, former BBC exec Matthew Bannister gets top folk musicians to take him on their favorite walks around the places that inspire their music. It’s a great way to discover the UK, from the Mourne mountains in Northern Ireland to the River Rede in Northumberland, and episodes often include a performance on location. Among the bigger names to have featured are Johnny Flynn on Hackney Marshes in east London and Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path, on the South West Coast Path.

Journalist Liv Bolton was inspired to launch The Outdoors Fix in 2019 after hiking across the South Island of New Zealand. In each episode, Bolton interviews a different guest who has made the outdoors a big part of their life, including Munira Ali, who is walking all of London’s parks and green spaces; Debbie Croydon, an open water swimming coach; and special forces veteran Chris Gasking, who broke a record for scaling the Lake District’s Wainwrights. The podcast offers tips on a wide range of outdoor pursuits – including wild swimming, cycling, and landscape photography. Bolton does well to spotlight women and people of color.

Launched in 2018, The Adventure Podcast makes for inspiring listening. In his weekly, long-form episodes, host Matt Pycroft interviews various guests about their achievements in the natural world, from mountaineers to tree climbers and Arctic scientists. Guests have included Robert Lester, who canoed 1,300 miles down the Columbia River in 2023; freediver Hanli Prinsloo, who founded I Am Water, an ocean conservation trust; and long-distance cyclist Laura Massey-Pugh, who holds a world record for cycling a tandem bike around the world with her husband Steven Massey.

Since launching in 2020, The Nugget Climbing Podcast has amassed a large following through its interviews with world-class climbers and coaches. Hosted by Steven Dimmitt, guests have included Alex Honnold, who shot to fame after climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan “free solo”, without protective equipment; rock climber Anak Verhoeven, who won the World Games in 2017; and Jesse Grupper, who competed at this summer’s Olympics. Episodes are long, often around the two-hour mark, so it’s good for background listening. The podcast also regularly posts videos of its featured climbers on Instagram.

Why not try these:

• From shocking experiments to childhood lobotomies, the BBC’s medical history podcast The Human Subject isn’t for the faint-hearted.

• If you’ve had Olympics and Paralympics fever this summer, check out Sportly, which dives deep into topics like the history of breakdancing and trailblazing Asian American athletes.

Source: The Guardian, The Independent, BBC