I need to start this newsletter with an apology. I know, it’s becoming a habit.
Last week, I was keen to correct the record regarding the opinion of Finlay – Fresh Air’s Head of Opinions – in relation to jacket potatoes. He clearly stated that he doesn’t like them because ‘Why would I want to eat like a 14th century peasant?’
Well, Richard – Director of Pressing Send on the Email – is a history graduate and has taken self-righteous objection because ‘As any history graduate knows, potatoes were not introduced into this country until the late 16th century’. As always, Richard is correct, as spuds were brought to us by Spanish traders from the Americas along with other staples like tomatoes. Many people initially distrusted potatoes* but they eventually became a common food by the 18th century. So, after three weeks of debate I think we can finally agree that Finlay has two options for a historically accurate opinion – either he objects to eating like an 18th century English peasant or a 14th century resident of Central or South America. The first one is a bit more punchy. Finlay doesn’t like jacket potatoes, OK?
*Richard has drawn the comparison with AI in 2026
The Podcast Show
It’s like Christmas Eve in Fresh Air Towers today. Next week is one of favourites of the year, with The Podcast Show taking place in London next Wednesday and Thursday. You can catch us there on both days, and we’d love to chat. You’ll spot a Fresh Airer because we’ll be in branded T-Shirts, so please stop us for a natter. For five years running, the Fresh Air branded T-Shirts have been source of some contentious debate amongst the team and last year, after a mini-mutiny, we made the switch from distinctive bright blue (apparently very uncool and liable to show up the sweat patches) to white, with a long-sleeved option. This change improved the mood among the gang but there is still an undercurrent of reluctance to spend two days looking like walking sandwich boards. In the words of Michaela, Director of Content and Head of Loud Nose Blows, ‘I completely get the strategic rationale, but I also like clothes’. Anyway, as the Keir Starmer of podcasting*, I have ignored the nay-sayers and we’ll all be happily wearing them. So come along, stop us and say hello, and if you know anyone who likes bright blue T-Shirts we’ve still got a cupboard full.
*I may need to revisit this
You can also catch us in three sessions across the two days:
Wednesday 20th 10:40 – 11:10 – Brand works Stage
Fun Fishy Facts: How No Such Thing as a Fish Got Results & Reaction for TV Licensing.
Richard DoPSotE is joined by the NSTAAF team and our wonderful client Nicola Ager, Head of Marketing at TV Licensing, discussing how to build a powerful long term partnership with demonstrable impact on revenue
Wednesday 20th 15:30 – 16:00 – Talking Podcasts 2 Stage
Beyond the Feed: The Secret Life of Podcasts
Michaela DoCaHoLNB joins a panel to talk about podcasts for internal communication, and why they can be a powerful way to build community and conversation among a workforce.
Thursday 21st 15:20 – 15:50 – Brand works Stage
The Truths That Make Brands Think Differently about Podcasts
Richard and Michaela are joined by Emma Chandler – Head of Content and Social Media at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Flora Williams – Executive Director, Head of Planning at Manning Gottlieb OMD, to discuss how brands can bat away their cynicism to understand how podcasts perform most effectively.
Betting & Eurovision News
Two worlds collide in Fresh Air Towers this weekend – The PGA Golf and Eurovision. After an admittedly rather limited survey I’ve established that you’re likely to enjoy one of these, but not both. Annie, Fresh Air’s Head of Chat, Snacks and Gambling, is still quite bruised from the tips she gave for The Masters in a recent newsletter. And quite rightly so as they were utterly useless. However, if you are minded to give her another chance this weekend she recommends Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg for the win and America’s Chris Gotterup as an each-way side bet. As before, by the time this newsletter reaches your inbox, both are likely to have displayed the golfing skills of a baby giraffe, but I’ll give you the outcome next week.
Meanwhile, it’s Eurovision week, and Harry – Head of Baking – is Fresh Air’s walking encyclopaedia on the topic. He’s kindly given us this Summary:
It’s the weekend when representatives of EBU member countries (and Australia) descend on an unsuspecting city, bringing with them flashing lights, clothing you would expect to see on the red carpet of the MET Gala and a whole host of music styles you’ve never heard before and probably won’t again. This year’s acts range from the classic ballads to Swedish techno, screaming Serbian metal, to Delta Goodrem – Australia’s answer to Celine Dion, and even a cameo from Boy George lending a not-so-helping hand to San Marino. England are also there and well… we’re trying something different (and that’s all I have to say about it).
Without trying to step on the toes of Fresh Air’s very own Head of Gambling, anyone who’s been following closely will know the smart money is on Finland, who have received special permission to have a live, mic’d up violin played during their song. This has (of course) caused controversy because amplified instruments are traditionally not allowed. Normally if you see anyone playing an instrument on stage then they’re miming.
Backup guitars? Unplugged.
The upright piano? Empty inside.
Epic Sax Guy (remember him)? Miming on the Eurovision stage.
That all being said, don’t count out Greece, Denmark and Australia. Their combination of a cat ears fever dream, a singer with a better leg extension than most of his backup dancers and the literal, actual, real Delta Goodrem have certainly struck a chord with the bookies.
Personally, I’m backing Lelek from Croatia and their song Andromeda. They’re my underdog of the year and one of my favourite entries since I started watching back in 2006 – right up there with 2021’s Voila (Barbara Pravi) and 2018’s Fuego (Eleni Foureira) and the iconic Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Verka Serduchka) from 2007. The stunning costumes and stage design, close harmony singing and haunting melodies combined with a key change which appears to arrive a full pre-chorus too early, make for an utterly gripping three minutes which send shivers across your body every time you listen. Even if you are not a Eurovision fan, you should find the online video of their semi-final (and after Saturday, final) performance just to experience what it’s like when a group decides they are coming to a competition to win.
I told you he liked it.
A Million Podcasts Report
If you want to know everything about the video podcast landscape, ‘Million Podcasts’ have had a pretty good go at it. They’ve analysed 34,000 video English language podcasts to get a snapshot of how it’s looking.
Out of those 34,000, about 18.5% were in the business and finance category, 11% in religion and spirituality, and around 7% health and 7% sport. There are, of course, categories that do well in video and some that do badly. True crime is tough to replicate in video, especially those told in a narrative fashion, and so they’re likely to be the reserve of the listeners rather than viewers, at least in comparison to business chat.
Of the listenership, 59% are ‘middle-income’ and 48.9% are millennial, described as the audience centre of gravity. Gen X follows at 27% and Gen Z at 16%. Boomers are relatively low in the mix but, as we’ve said previously here, catching on fast and rapidly growing.
And finally, longer shows have bigger audiences. Don’t be fooled by this though. The mean length of a video podcast is 41 minutes and ⅔ of podcasts publish lengths between 20 and 60 minutes. Episodes longer than 90 minutes are reported as having 225% bigger audiences than those of 20-40 minutes. All this means is that with more loyal audiences you can push the length more, and they’ll stick with you. It does NOT, I repeat, does NOT mean your podcast should be the same length as the Diary of a CEO.
Finlay Macrae turns his head leftwards…
Josh Widdecombe is a little bit (OK, 7 years) younger than me, but his fascination with 80s and 90s pop culture is obviously right up my street. The show is split into mini-series on topics such as The Chippendales, It’s a Royal Knockout, Mr Blobby and Stock Aitken & Waterman. I have a bit of an issue with this recently-emerged podcast format of ‘read through a prepared summary of everything available the internet for this topic, and then stop after each bullet point to discuss/laugh at it with a guest’, but as long as you’re interested in the stories and the hosts are engaging enough, it works pretty well. They also insert great archive but Josh doesn’t react to it because it’s added in post. Am I being too producer-geeky here? Probably.
Anyway, if you like Josh and you grew up in the 80s & 90s, there’s something here for you. E.g. Pete Waterman worked in a concrete factory.
Annie Day goes all green fingered…
If I was ever tempted to watch any of the podcasts I listen to, this would be a good starting point. Roots is a new branded series from the RHS, hosted by its ambassador and keen gardener Jo Wiley. Each episode is filmed in a garden that either belongs to or means something to some of our most famous faces. Guests include Richard E Grant, Alan Titchmarsh and Judy Dench. I’ve heard them all interviewed many times about their careers, so it’s a lovely change to hear them discussing something other than the roles we know them for. Judy Dench talking with so much passion about a garden she can hardly see but can smell, touch, and hear was really moving. Each episode also features an RHS expert. I could take or leave this section, but they do the care deeply about their subject matter and if a future expert can tell me how to get rid of bind weed or why some of my alliums came up blind this year, I’ll be interested! It is also beautifully shot and feels like something BBC 2 could pop on a Friday night. However, I listened (while gardening!) and really wished there was more description and sound design.
What we’ve been listening to this week
AThe Rest is Politics.
When Labour got elected in 2024, I genuinely wondered whether it might cause a crisis for TRIP because when politics gets boring and sensible, who wants to listen to a podcast about politics? Well, thankfully the Labour Party have just as good an ear for creating podcast material as the Tories did, and so TRIP hasn’t been able to create emergency episodes quickly enough.
Live episodes with listener polls are now the standard response to a new drama in Number 10, and Alistair Campbell’s connections mean he can say ‘I’ve just got a text from a cabinet minister’ in a way that few journalists can. So the smart people at Goalhanger are making the show a destination during rocky times, which I think we can assume will be forever.
At the same time, this week’s Rajar figures show a big uptick for news radio stations including LBC, 5Live and Fresh Air favourite – Times Radio. So in times of conflict and uncertainty it doesn’t look like podcasts are cannibalising radio, just adding to the range of conversation.
What we’ve been doing this week
I went to the tip on Sunday. I know this doesn’t sound like it’s a big deal but they’ve managed to make it feel like such an event these days. You have to book at least two weeks in advance, tell them exactly what you’re taking, and show your QR code when you arrive. It’s like a trip to the cinema.
Plus, I unloaded my car next to ‘Egghead’ Gavin from school, who I haven’t seen for 30 years so it’s good to know he’s not in prison. We’re two middle aged men with plenty of water under the bridge since all that school stuff, so we didn’t speak to each other but instead made sure we mutually avoided all eye contact whenever we crossed over on our way to/from the scrap metal skip. In that sense it’s a bit like the pub urinals, and I’m happy to say that English male awkwardness is alive and well.
