6 Top New Non-True Crime Podcasts of October 2024
I have listened to some really great non-true crime podcasts recently so I decided it was about time to put them on a list to share with you! I hope you enjoy them too.
1. Black Box - Hosted By Michael Safi - The Guardian.
This podcast was actually released in March 2024 but I only discovered it recently and its so good I had to include it here. In Black Box host Michael Safi investigates:
“… the story of a technology so complex that its own creators have no idea what it is thinking, and captures a snapshot of the era when people first made contact with AI.” (Source here).
The subject of this podcast (Artificial Intelligence) is a “hot topic” in our lives right now, especially with arrival of chatbot “ChatGPT” (developed by OpenAI) now being used widely across all areas of our lives. It has never been so important to understand as much as we can about AI technology and the impact it is having on our lives right now and what to expect in the future.
A really educational, interesting and provocative podcast.
All six episodes are ready and waiting for you!
2. World Of Secrets: Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods - Hosted By Cassie Cornish-Trestrail & Shaimaa Khalil - BBC.
In this documentary style podcast the hosts are investigating and reporting on allegations of sexual assault against Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed. The former owner of luxury department store Harrods, has been accused of rape and attempted rape by a number of women who worked for him during his time at Harrods.
This is a very thorough investigation by the BCC, they have spoken to over 20 women who accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of sexual offences. We hear directly from some of the women in this podcast.
I was absolutely captivated by this podcast. The stories told by the women are so powerful. This is a podcast highlighting how wealth and social standing can lead to unquestioned power and control over others and how this power can be abused with horrifying results.
All six episodes are available.
3. The Cows Are Mad - Hosted By Lucy Proctor - BBC Radio 4.
In The Cows Are Mad podcast host Lucy Proctor takes us back to 1990s Britain and to the era of “mad cow disease”:
“… an epidemic of a fatal neurological disease in cows that also killed 178 humans.” (Source here).
If, like me, you remember this time but perhaps never really knew the full background story, (I was quite young in the 1990s) or the scientific studies that took place and the widespread effects that the disease had, then I highly recommend listening to this podcast. We are taken through the whole era of the disease, from the first cases to the most recent, how the disease evolved and how we moved forward:
“30 years on, scientists and activists are still searching for answers to two big questions - where did mad cow disease originally come from and how did humans get infected? This crazy tale of cannibal cows, competing origin theories, and scientific dead ends lives on as the madness continues to spread.” (Source here).
A really fascinating podcast that had me so invested that I binged all ten episodes!
4. Listen, I’m Delicious with Garron Noone - HeadStuff Podcasts.
I’m not sure when I first heard of Garron Noone but I know it was one of his absolutely hilarious Instagram (@garron_music) videos that caught my attention and I found myself watching every other video I could find on his page. He is so funny, quick witted, intelligent and entertaining and not forgetting an amazing musician! I love his take on current “hot topics”, his video on the Leinster House bike shed drama I have watched more than once, it never fails to make me howl.
This new “comedy & food” podcast from Garron Noone is a little slice of heaven, the perfect break from true crime binging. In each episode Garron speaks to one of Ireland’s biggest stars from a variety of backgrounds and they:
“… deep dive into conversations about life, food and some seriously tantalising topics such as ‘Which biscuit is really the best, and why?’.” (Source podcast description).
There are five episodes available so far and new episodes are released weekly on Fridays. Loving this new podcast, he is a tonic (and delicious)!
5. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast - Hosted By Kate Lamble - BBC Radio.
This is a new ten-part podcast series investigating the Grenfell Tower fire and why it happened. Approaching 1am on the 14th of June 2017 a fire broke out in an apartment within the twenty-four storey Grenfell Tower block of apartments, located in North Kensington, West London, England. Tragically seventy people died at the scene and two more people later passed away in hospital. In addition, a further seventy people were injured and needed medical assistance. This fire was:
“… the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 Piper Alpha oil-platform disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the Blitz of World War II.” (Source here).
In this podcast we learn all about the circumstances surrounding the fire, the lead up to it, the cause of the fire (some shocking revelations) and the aftermath. We hear from people who were residents of the Grenfell Tower at the time of the fire and the severe consequences that this horrific event had on their lives.
This podcast is excellent. I suggest you download all ten episodes and queue them up.
6. Extreme: Muscle Men - Hosted By Natalia Mehlman Petrzela - BBC.
Last up is a new BBC podcast entitled Extreme and Extreme: Muscle Men is the first season. We begin this podcast in 1980s Los Angeles and dive into the world of body building and steroid use. Host Natalia Mehlman Petrzela:
“… reveals how the rise of America’s fitness and gym-culture through the 20th century collided with the unregulated availability of steroids in the 1980s, transforming the way we see our bodies, and the lengths to which we’ll go to in the pursuit of perfection.” (Source here).
We hear the story of William Dillon and how his life was forever changed by steroid use:
“Dillon, along with the cult hero of the steroid underground - the ‘steroid guru’ Dan Duchaine - and David Jenkins, a Scottish Olympic medallist with a nose for business, will launch the largest illegal steroid dealing ring the USA had ever seen. As steroid use grips small-town gym-goers, pro bodybuilders and elite athletes, the cops, legislators and the world of international sport scrambles to crack down.” (Source here).
All eight episodes are available now.
If you like the host of this podcast then you should check out one of her previously featured podcast Welcome To Your Fantasy.
If you've any questions, suggestions or just want to say hello, contact me via the Contact Form, Instagram (@noroadlongenough) or By Email noroadlongenough1@gmail.com