Pick of the Podcasts: David Tennant Does A Podcast With…, GIANT, Rise of the Iron Men

There are a number of things you can do if you hand back the keys to the Tardis.

If you’re John Pertwee you can go the scarecrow route, with Wurzel Gummidge, whereas if you’re Christopher Eccleston you can pretend you were never Doctor Who in the first place.

David Tennant has been relatively comfortable since leaving his regular starring role on the iconic show 2010, having turned his hand to various projects.

From detective drama Broadchurch to superhero adventure Jessica Jones and even lockdown comedy Staged recently, David has been comfortable showing his range.

Yet he seems most relaxed on his passion project, David Tennant Does A Podcast With…

This is the second series of the show in which David interviews a guest. So far he’s spoken to diverse people such as Gordon Brown, Tina Fey, John Hamm and Olivia Colman. And in the now-under way second series he has a host of big names.

They include The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elisabeth Moss, Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, Vera’s Cush Jumbo, musician Tim Minchin, Succession’s Brian Cox, and Dame Judi Dench.

So far the series has clocked up more than 10 million downloads.

Podcasts give him an opportunity to talk more than entertainment, like in the latest episode, with US politician Stacey Abrams.

“One of the terrifyingly effective things that Donald Trump has managed to do when he’s been in public office is undermine the very idea of what truth is really,” said David.

“He’s impossible to shame, so that makes him a particularly difficult person to respond to.”

Expect more musings from the former Time Lord as the series progresses.

David Tennant Does A Podcast With…, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

Rise of the Iron Men, Audible

Depressingly, populist world leaders are dominating headlines and creating a new kind of politics that challenges democratic values and the liberal order.

They influence the media, exert economic power, appoint judges and seek to undermine the very institutions that brought them into power.

In this gripping narrative, Misha Glenny tells the stories of six of these strongmen.

GIANT, Spotify

GIANT is a weekly podcast bringing you football stories that matter, told by the people who were there. It’s as much about people as it is penalties, life as it is legends, and emotion as it is extra-time.

This is an audio documentary series that takes you deep into the stories you might know. Stories include the career of Alan Shearer, and Nigeria’s incredible run to win Olympic Gold in 1996.