Looking to take your parasocial relationships to the next level? Welcome to the world of celebrity podcasts. If there's one thing we've learned from our endless hours listening, it's that not all of them are made equal. By now I'm sure you're across the big names; you've probably dipped a toe into Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert or deliberately avoided the Joe Rogan Experience on principle. Good for you. However, spend some time on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and you'll learn that there's much more nourishing options on offer.
From Alana Haim and Sasha Spielberg's Free Period to Sonic Symbolism by Björk, these are the celebrity podcasts we enjoy and think you will too.
Forbidden Fruits
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Unlike other celebrity podcasts, co-hosts Julia Fox and Niki Takesh don't beat around the bush – they both go straight for the jugular, extracting all the juicy details from their guests. So far, the pair has interviewed everyone from Chloe Cherry and FKA Twigs to Caroline Calloway and Anna Delvey. Can't stand vocal fry or hosts talking over each other? Keep scrolling.
Charli XCX's Best Song Ever
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Part Desert Island Discs, part High Fidelity playlist, Charli XCX asks all of pop culture's most prominent faces to share their pick for the best breakup song, the most romantic sound, and the track they're putting on at a party. There's some interesting answers, and, unsurprisingly, a lot of Lana Del Rey. Guests include: Amelia Dimoldenberg, Troye Sivan, Caroline Polachek, Rachel Sennott, Phoebe Bridgers, and more.
The C-Word
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When you think of the women who the culture has cast aside as crazy, who comes to mind? Lil' Kim, Winona Ryder, Isabella Blow, Gia Carangi, Daul Kim? These are all women Lena Dunham and her co-host Alissa Bennett rescue for the C-pile of history, delving deep into these stories to pinpoint exactly how and when society labelled them irredeemable, or for how long. Insightful, measured and well-researched, this is a gem on the list.
Björk: Sonic Symbolism
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Peppered with anecdotes and thoughtful exegesis, in Sonic Symbolism Björk guides listeners chronologically through her music archives. Beginning with her 1993 album fittingly titled Debut, each episode is the genre-defying artist in conversation with collaborators and close friends to discuss the sound and mood of an album with surprising intimacy.
Free Period
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Bestfriends Sasha Spielberg and Alana Haim host a delightfully giddy and relatable podcast called Free Period, which asks its guests to dredge up the most embarrassing, memorable, and awkward stories from their adolescence. As expected, it's funny and cringe in equal measure, talking periods, first kisses, MSN, and more.
Dua Lipa: At Your Service
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While podcasts hosted by journalists might be more rigorous, well-produced, or researched, there's a level of intimacy they can never quite muster. This is the strength of those hosted by celebrities, they put their peers at ease even when digging into more personal questions, as Dua Lipa does in At Your Service. Some standout episodes include one with Billie Eilish and another with Paloma Elsesser. Keep listening to hear from guests like Hanya Yanagihara, Edward Enninful, Greta Gerwig, Ziwe, Pedro Almodóvar, and more.
High Low with EmRata
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Maybe it's petty but I still can't get past the fact that EmRata completely plagiarised the name and concept for her podcast from British journalists Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes – and managed to get away with it. If that doesn't bother you, then you'll probably enjoy High Low and Ratajkowski's access to high profile guests.
My First Time with Tommy Dorfman
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The best podcasts are those where there's an accelerated intimacy between host and guest, and there's no better question at whipping up that state than asking about one's first time. That's the premise for Tommy Dorfman's podcast – and no, first times don't always have to focus on sex, though some do. The actress invites names like Julia Fox, Dylan Mulvaney, Patrick Stewart and Hunter Abrams to discuss their first times attending fashion shows, writing a book, or dressing in drag, and why those moments were so formative.
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