Pick of the Podcasts: Cheat!, The Vaping Fix, The Shift

Cheat!

There are cheats in every corner of society but, deep down, we’re actually fascinated by them.

People who cheat the system, large-scale frauds, unfaithful lovers, dopers and con artists; we pretend to be disgusted by their unscrupulous methods but in reality we’re hugely interested in these scoundrels.

Perhaps we even want these people, who play the same game but abide by different rules, to succeed?

And beyond that secret delight we take in those who do the things we claim we’d never do, have we ever asked ourselves what makes these cheats actually tick?

We enjoyed former Army major Charles Ingram’s attempts to cheat – and cough – his way to a fortune on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire; last year the story was immortalised in acclaimed ITV drama series Quiz starring Matthew Macfadyen as the bumbling cad, Sian Clifford as his wife Diana and Michael Sheen as host Chris Tarrant.

The case, along with a host of others, is explored in Cheat! by comedian and host Alzo Slade.

From world-class athletes tampering with equipment to self-taught stock market traders making millions from their bedrooms. From everyday citizens on the take, to elected presidents who misuse their enormous power.

What were their motivations to cheat? Is it ever justified?

Donald Trump’s exploits are especially humorous, particularly when you find out the lengths he went to win a game of golf.

The interesting thing is he’s far from the only president to sneak his way to victory on the putting green.

There’s a serious point to be made, of course.

These are the inside stories behind some of the biggest scandals in contemporary history and the flawed protagonists at their heart.

The Shift

Life after 40 is no cakewalk, unless you count walking to Greggs for some actual cakes. And for women it can be especially tough. The issues which affect middle-aged women are covered in The Shift, hosted by Sam Baker.

She looks at body image, and suddenly discovering all your clothes hate you, as well as issues from confidence to career reinvention, and mental health to the menopause.

The Vaping Fix

Oh you thought vaping was the safe alternative to smoking you could enjoy without a care in the world? Think again. From classrooms to hospitals, boardrooms to the Oval Office, what can be done to protect teenagers and is it too late?

From Laura Beil, the reporter behind Dr Death comes The Vaping Fix, the inside story of the rise of the company which popularised vaping…and the making of a crisis.