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It’s a brand new year and whether you’re the type to make a bunch of resolutions or not, it’s likely you’re thinking about how the rest of 2022 will shape up. But no matter what the future holds, we can make one prediction with certainty: You’re gonna want a new podcast to listen to. Well, we’ve got you covered. These 6 podcasts are a perfect way to kick off the new year whether you’re looking to try something new, work on your mental health and mindset, learn some fun facts, or strengthen family bonds. Refresh that podcast feed with these awesome shows and you’ll know one thing for sure: Your future will be filled with great content.
Ruthie Rogers, the founder and chef of the iconic River Cafe in London, has been playing host to noted celebrities, artists, architects, politicians, scientists, thinkers, and more for over 30 years. On her podcast, River Cafe Table 4, she invites us to the table as she sits down with her friends to hear about how food has impacted their lives and share recipes from the cafe’s cookbook. Michael Caine jokes that his comfort food is caviar; Paul McCartney recounts a terrible wine tasting in France with John Lennon; filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga remembers the stir-fried spiders he was served during a motorcycle trip through Cambodia. Get a full-sized helping of life (and dinner!) inspiration with this new podcast.
Speaking of food, maybe you’ve been thinking that you’d like to get more adventurous with your meals. A great introduction to new foods and drinks is Savor, the podcast that dives deep into all things food and beverage to discover the science and history behind what we eat. The charming and knowledgeable hosts Anney and Lauren spill the beans about everything: soft drinks and cilantro, quince and quinoa, bourbon and baby corn, anise and adobo, and so much more, all shared with a healthy dash of friendly humor that is sure to keep you coming back for more. You’ll find yourself experimenting with new ingredients in no time.
A lot of people have started prioritizing their mental health lately, so maybe that’s your focus for 2022. If so, you need Dear Therapists on your podcast playlist. Lori Gottleib and Guy Winch, both therapists and advice columnists, let us be a fly on the wall in their therapy sessions with listeners. We hear not only the problem and their advice, but also their own thought processes and impressions about the problems they’re given – plus, their callers follow up to tell them how their advice worked out. Even when the problems don’t directly relate to your life, there’s always some insight to gain in every single episode.
While we’re talking about mental health, we can’t leave out Dr. Joy Harden Bradford’s comfy and compelling podcast Therapy For Black Girls. Not only do her episodes cover a wide range of topics from fertility issues and finances to dating and sex to gender and racial identity issues, but she also offers a lot of practical strategies for maintaining mental health, managing anxiety, setting healthy boundaries, being more assertive, and more. This podcast is a great way to hear some real talk about anything under the sun, all with the cozy feeling of hanging out with a safe confidant on the back porch on a warm Southern night.
Bestselling author Dani Shapiro had always written about her father, a man she longed to understand better – and then one day she discovered he wasn’t her father at all. While the secret was staggering, she found that by sharing it, she met others who had also uncovered shocking truths or kept heavy secrets of their own for years. On her podcast Family Secrets, people share incredibly moving stories of discovering (or hiding) secret relatives, shocking murders, tragic deaths, heinous abuse, secret identities, and more. If your goal is to get more honest in 2022, or confront some long-held burden, this podcast will provide all the inspiration and support you could want.
Maybe you’re looking to improve your love life in 2022. Well, you can’t go wrong with a little Ridiculous Romance. Real-life married couple Eli and Diana hunt through history to find the most wild and crazy marriages, divorces, affairs, triads, and everything in between from all over the world. Did you know Sammy Davis, Jr was once threatened by the Mob for dating Kim Novak? Or that a guy recently married a hologram? Have you heard about the Inuit couple who saved the lives of British polar explorers or the forbidden love between a brilliant Mexican nun and the Viceroy’s wife? Hilarious, well-researched, and enthusiastically delivered, these stories about all kinds of love are just what you need to start your year laughing, learning, and believing in true love.
If you want to be sure you're listening to the podcasts everyone else is checking out, iHeartRadio has you covered. Every Monday, iHeartRadio releases a chart showing the most popular podcasts of the week. Stay up to date on what's trending by checking out the chart here. There's even a chart just for radio podcasts here, featuring all your favorite iHeartRadio personalities like Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, Steve Harvey and dozens of others.