My 10 Favorite Interview Podcasts of 2024
I hear about the same interview podcasts over and over again. You know the ones I mean – the ones who are currently at the top of the charts. I’m here to remind you that just because you hear the most about them doesn’t mean they’re the best . Best regards, here they are. They are led by presenters with curiosity and respect for the people they are interviewing, as well as plenty of tricks up their sleeves to keep things interesting. Or maybe just a deck of cards. (Oops, I’m ruining the first one!)
See my list of the best podcasts of 2024 here and the best true crime podcasts here . And let me know which interview podcasts you think should be on the list in the comments!
Wild card
In Wild Card , Rachel Martin uses a real deck of cards to conduct interviews with actors, artists, and thinkers. Guests choose a card from a deck, and these little cards have some pretty big questions – and they’re so fun that I wrote them down and brought them to parties. (Where did you feel independent as a child? At what point did a stranger make you feel loved? What do people misunderstand about you? What feeling do you experience more than others?) I have fun at parties! This is a podcast I never miss. And you don’t want to miss the episode with Nikki Giovanni. I’ve always loved it, but now that we lost Nikki not too long ago, I love it even more.
Tosh Shaw
You may remember comedian Daniel Tosh from his specials and his long-running Comedy Central show Tosh.0, which featured satirical online video commentary. On his Tosh Show podcast, he does the opposite of what almost every comedian does (interviewing celebrities and other comedians) and instead interviews people in his everyday life, the most normal people he can find. His on-air guy, his son’s music teacher, his wife’s gynecologist. The conversations are so fast, funny, and engaging, which proves that Tosh is skilled enough to make anyone seem like the most charming person in the world, if only for a few minutes. He breaks the rules in other ways: sharing audio recordings of his son reading stories and sending gifts to all his guests. (It’s always something used from his house that he no longer needs.)
Search engine
PJ Vogt was part of Reply All, probably one of the most beloved podcasts of all time. After leaving Reply All, he started a search engine on his own, where he solves riddles that can’t be found on Google – starting with the question “Who buys luggage at the airport baggage office?” to “Why didn’t these two random guys end up at Berghain?” (exclusive dance club in Germany). The episodes are so good because they come from PJ’s genuine curiosity. They are funny and will always give you something to think about.
From now on
From Now On is hosted by Lisa Phillips, a former model and current talent scout who has navigated the complexities of the entertainment industry. Lisa also, importantly, survived Jeffrey Epstein. This podcast dives headfirst into stories of abuse and recovery, and Lisa, someone who has a personal and deep understanding of abuse, especially as it relates to power struggles in the workplace and industry, is the perfect host. While on the surface it doesn’t look like a real crime or investigative podcast, it has had a real impact on crime. Because of this, several women who were attacked by the same man came forward and said it was because of the show. Not all media outlets publishing a “Me-Too” message were able to do this, and I can only guess why Lisa did it – it’s her open, emotional way of bringing them into her space. She makes them feel safe enough to let it all out. Sometimes when I listen to From Now On, I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
Panic world
“World of Panic ” by Ryan Broderick, released in September as an offshoot of his newsletter “Trash Day”, offers analysis of internet culture, examining bizarre trends, moral panics and viral phenomena originating from obscure corners of the Internet, and how they evolve to impact influence on us in real life. Ryan talks to guests like Michael Hobbs and Akilah Hughes about niche internet subcultures and is able to effortlessly make sense of something weird that’s gone viral on the internet, peppered with humor and knowledge gained from years of working in the tech newsroom at Buzzfeed. Think: TikTok issues, conspiracy theories, and things like Silicon Valley’s obsession with anti-aging.
Strangers on a bench
For his podcast Strangers on a Bench, singer-songwriter Tom Rosenthal walked through London parks with his recorder, approaching strangers on benches to talk so we could eavesdrop. Because the guests are often anonymous, they often get incredibly personal, saying things you’ve probably never heard on the podcast, and I don’t think most people would say if Tom (who is obviously warm, charming and hospitable host) ) should have used a more traditional format. One woman talks about visiting her deceased husband and daughter at the cemetery. Another talks about his emotional relationship with keeping clean. Another is about his inability to break the cycle of incarnations in the family. I love Strangers on a Bench because it teaches us a new way to get to know people and because it’s a reminder that everyone on those benches is thinking interesting thoughts. Also because I’m curious. Turn on some cheesy music: There are no strangers on these benches…
Death, sex and money
Anna Sale founded Death, Sex & Money in 2017, realizing that many interview podcasts would explore more complex and interesting questions about human nature. So she started the show about that. The episodes explore our uncomfortable feelings about death and our very real relationships with death (“My father planned his death. I didn’t stop him”), sex (“Why Don’t You Have Sex”) and money (one of my favorite episodes is “Why I steal.”) Anna is gentle, but insightful and straightforward. Some interviewers make this about themselves; Anna never does this. She is comfortable in silence. And people open up to her. This is a part storytelling, part interview, part don’t even think about bothering me right now, I’m hanging on every word podcast.
Worst podcast ever
“Worst Podcast” is clearly a deliberately self-deprecating show, but it’s one of the best interview shows to come out since 2024. Award-winning director Alan Zweig behaves and comes to the microphone in a huff every time he asks his guests (whom he never knows anything about). o – first Paula and Janie Tompkins) to tell them about the worst things in life. Alan threw the interview rule book out the window. He argues with his guests and the producer and gets on a very personal level with us; perhaps too personal. He doesn’t try to please, and that’s why you’ll love him. That first episode with Paul and Janie is really, really good. And if you love Anna Sale (see above), there is a great interview with her.
Bullseye with Jesse Thorne
There are many reasons why I will listen to every episode of Bullseye with Jesse Thorne , whether I know the guest or not. A lot of interview podcasts come from a place of curiosity, which is great. Many shows on this list do this. Jesse approaches his guests with deep respect—his questions reach deep beneath the surface. He can go from serious to silly with people like Dan Aykroyd, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Maria Bamford – people he carefully chose to interview because he really wants to talk to them. (This got me thinking about how many interviews I listen to and I have to ask myself if the host really wants to interview their guest. And since we’re listening to artists that Jesse really likes (a lot of indie comedians and hip hop artists) , these aren’t necessarily the people who watch all the podcasts. The conversations are broken down into segments like “Wish I Made That” or “Canonball” that take a closer look at the albums to consider about the classics This is the show that I. I’ll probably send it to a friend and say, “You won’t believe who was interviewed on Bullseye with Jesse Thorne.”
Keep it simple with Sam Fragoso
In Talk Easy, Sam Fragoso hosts thoughtful, long-form conversations that don’t feel like interviews at all, but delve deep into the minds of his guests, artists, activists and politicians. (Sam goes from sitting with Gen Z’s first congresswoman to discuss his fight for gun reform to having tea with Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg.) Every conversation has a storyline and feels like a meditation. Sam is curious and empathetic, he does research and is not interested in individual answers, but in the whole story. Even if you’ve heard someone speak on twelve other podcasts, Sam will give an interview that will seem completely new.