5 new podcasts to listen to this week

If you are looking for podcasts which explore the highs and lows of raising children, the business of fashion, or if you are even a fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, then this week’s podcast picks are for you.

1. Pride and Prejudice

Streaming platform: Audible

Genre: Relationships, arts and books

This adaptation of Pride and Prejudice reimagines Jane Austen’s novel as a fully staged audio production, rather than an ordinary audiobook.

The performances are strong across the board: Marisa Abela embodies Elizabeth Bennet with intelligence and subtle wit, Harris Dickinson’s Mr. Darcy is compellingly reserved, and Glenn Close, Bill Nighy and Marianne Jean-Baptiste lend gravitas to the supporting cast.

One of the adaptation’s most engaging aspects is its intimacy. Elizabeth frequently addresses the listener directly, offering insight into her thoughts and emotions.

While this occasionally causes slight confusion about when she is speaking to another character versus the audience, it generally deepens the connection to her inner world.

Overall, it successfully balances a faithfulness to Austen’s text while using a contemporary tone and sound design to bring it into 2025.

For listeners open to a more cinematic approach to classic literature, this adaptation is a compelling and immersive reentry into the world of the Bennets and their social entanglements.

(By Lara Owen)

2. The Missing Sister

Streaming platform: Wondery+

Genre: True crime

When a black girl goes missing, it’s often said that their cases get left behind. However, it was crucial for writer and journalist Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff that it didn’t happen to Joy Morgan.

In 2018, Morgan, a 20-year-old midwifery student from south London,  disappeared on Boxing Day, after attending a party at her controversial church, Israel United in Christ (IUIC).

Even though it was later discovered that she had been murdered by a fellow member of the congregation, Brinkhurst-Cuff, who was one of the first journalists to report on her case in 2019, knew there was more to be uncovered about IUIC.

The Missing Sister is a new six-part investigative podcast hosted by Brinkhurst-Cuff – the former editor-in-chief of gal-dem – about the story of Morgan, where never-heard-before testimonies from Morgan’s friends and family are used to illustrate the devastating impact of the church.

Former IUIC members also share accounts of psychological and physical abuse, misogyny, racism and a silencing culture within the organisation, casting a light on its potential role in Morgan’s death.

The Missing Sister – produced by journalist Seren Jones and developed with entertainment company Free Turn and Wondery+ – has all the right ingredients to expose the truth about Morgan’s injustice, and does so with much grace, skill, grit and heart.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

2. Breathe & Bond – Raising SEN Kings & Queens

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Family and society

It’s rare to come across such a beautiful and honest conversation about raising SEN children, especially with fathers and grandfathers.

But that’s exactly what happened on the latest episode of the Breathe & Bond – Raising SEN Kings & Queens Podcast, where hosts Tola Andu and Tiwa King discuss the highs and lows of raising incredible boys with autism, whilst navigating culture, faith, family and sisterhood.

This week, Andu and King are joined by Andu’s husband, Tosin, and King’s father, Kole.

Tosin shares his initial feelings after hearing about their 19-year-old son’s autism diagnosis – he admits that he cried – and Kole does the same about his grandson Levi – he cried too, and set out to investigate his lineage.

King goes on to highlight why autism isn’t widely accepted in certain cultures, Nigerian namely, and encourages people to consider the moments of joy that can be found if they look beyond their child not being able to speak.

Tosin and Kole encourage other black fathers who may be struggling, discuss the responsibility that comes with being a father, and the benefits of raising children in the midst of love.

From the moments of laughter to the quiet tears, Breathe & Bond – Raising SEN Kings & Queens Podcast is truly a safe space where sisterhood meets SEN parenting.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

4. Incredible Women

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Fashion

For the 10th season of Net-a-Porter’s Incredible Women podcast, content director Alice Casely-Hayford sits down with women who “shine bright and draw greatness into their orbits”, whilst they are at the height of their careers.

In the first episode of series 10, also known as the Supernovas series, Casely-Hayford is joined by fashion podcast creator Recho Omondi, host of The Cutting Room Floor and founder of fashion brand Omondi.

Omondi talks about her upbringing and being raised by a single father with her older sisters, studying medicine and why she decided to pivot and study fashion instead, which she describes as “falling in love with make-believe”.

It was interesting to hear Omondi talk about failing fast, the difficulties she faced in scaling her business, launching her podcast out of frustration and why she uses the analogy of a restaurant to describe the mechanics of the global fashion industry.

Omondi has succeeded in building a brand on her own terms, and her grit, confidence, and innovation really encapsulate the essence of this podcast.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)

Spotlight on…

5. Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Family

Parenting doesn’t come with a script, but it does come with a lot of questions.

Raising Us is a new parenting podcast from A Kids Co., founded by journalist, mother-of-three and host Elise Hu, for adults raising children.

In each episode, Hu aims to provide parents with all they need to raise children in our current climate, through having insightful conversations with experts about research and their lived experiences.

In the first episode, Hu speaks with plus-size supermodel and advocate Tess Holliday, and author Virginia Sole-Smith on body image.

It’s interesting hearing Hu, Holliday, and Sole-Smith discuss everything from SkinnyTok and the impact shows like Peppa Pig can have on children’s wellbeing and confidence.

If you are a parent thinking about having these types of conversations with your children early on, with confidence, while also challenging your own relationship with your body, then Raising Us may be a podcast for you.

(By Yolanthe Fawehinmi)