Whether it’s good or bad, there’s so much to take away from 2023 – including it being the 160th anniversary of the London Underground. Podcast of the week

1. Take What You Need

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Culture

“It’s worth it to be the villain,” says Abiola, the host of Take What You Need. Do you agree? Being the villain in someone else’s story?

In this podcast – something Abiola describes as an “audio blog” – the founder and chief marketing strategist at SBM Creative invites listeners into her world and shares some of the few musings that have challenged her to be a better person, a more forward-thinking business owner and informed the way she chooses to live her day-to-day life.

On this occasion, it’s all about sibling rivalry and the fact that it’s everywhere. From Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton, Kendall Roy, Shiv Roy and Roman Roy, Abiola does a great job at holding up a mirror to the relationships in our lives.

It’s not made her judge anyone, but has made her think about if it’s something she also needs to take seriously – as someone who also has siblings. She goes on to talk about how we consume media and why it tends to provide us the opportunity to reflect and learn something new.

What does sibling rivalry mean? Can sibling rivalry ever be good? Can it ever be transformative? Can it be beneficial? How do we prevent the crossing of boundaries?

The goal is for people to just take whatever they need. And that’s what I did. Especially as an older sister.

2. The Scottie & Sylvia Show

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Pop culture

In the season finale of The Scottie & Sylvia Show, the ladies reflect on some of their favourite things from 2023, including their favourite music projects and films, with the ultimate multi-hyphenate herself – writer, actor, and entrepreneur, Issa Rae.

Produced by Rae’s audio everywhere company Raedio and powered by their beautiful friendship, Scottie and Sylvia speak to Rae about some of their favourite moments from the Renaissance World Tour, The Color Purple – out in January – and her role in American Fiction and why she enjoyed the social commentary the racial parody has made.

It’s what leads them to talk about Hollywood, what it’s like being an aspiring writer trying to get their foot through the door and the pretentiousness sometimes found in the criticism of black art made for all different types of people.

Rae speaks about being a workaholic and why she finds it difficult to strike a work-life balance. It’s one of the reasons why she decided to travel a lot more this year.

But what I loved the most about this episode, was when they all shared their wishes and hopes for Black women going into the new year. “I always want the best for us and I want us to centre ourselves,” says Rae. “I just want us to be apologetic about choosing ourselves first.”

3. Girls Gotta Eat

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Relationships

In another last episode of the year, co-hosts Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenberg of comedy podcast about dating, sex, and relationships, Girls Gotta Eat, recap 2023 and talk about the “highlights and lowlights” of their personal lives, pop culture, breakups, and their listeners.

For what has been a big transformative year for both, they cried so much. Hesseltine and Greenberg explain why it’s important to be vulnerable with each other about what you are going through, because we are all going through something, no matter how great someone’s life looks.

It made me think of the mantra which says, “comparison is a thief of joy”, which was driven home after the ladies reminded their listeners that “everything happens for a reason”.

During this festive period, everyone becomes reflective, but often waits for the new year to start implementing goals. But the ladies encouraged their listeners to just start now. Why wait?

4. Forever35

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Wellbeing

What are the five things you are most proud of this year? In the hope of reframing the narrative, co-hosts of Forever35, Kate and Doree, talk about why we find this so difficult to do – congratulate ourselves. But if were asked to share some constructive criticism about how 2023 went, we would have no issues.

Throughout the latest episode, the pair constantly reflect on how we can build healthier relationships with ourselves and others. Starting with Doree, who shares more on why she decided to join an over-40s tennis team, and how it’s allowed her to meet new people and build new friendships. Pushing herself out of her comfort zone seems to have been a major theme for her year.

Meanwhile, Kate wrote her second novel which she is really happy about, due to her being very close to throwing in the towel on several occasions. Finding the balance between writing, attending to her kids and recording the podcast, she explains why writing a book can be such an emotional slog.

But it’s one of the things that helped shift her approach to parenthood and how she goes about it. Especially when your children grow up, personality changes and require different things from you as a parent. She admits that she hasn’t always done a great job at it, but she has started to figure out how to parent them in this phase of their lives.

Have they had more low moments? A ton. Just like the rest of us.

Spotlight on…

5.  Mind The Gap: Tube 160

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Travel

To celebrate the 160th anniversary of the London Underground network, TfL launched its first four-part podcast series.

Host Tim Dunn, a railway historian, broadcaster and lifelong Underground enthusiast, takes listeners on an incredible journey underground, as he explores the amazing world of the London Tube.

In each episode, he travels to different stations across the capital and meets with guests including Rylan Clark, Amy Lamé and Wayne Hemingway. But he doesn’t stop there, he also spends time with the designers and engineers from TfL, who share their passion and some of the stories behind the world’s oldest underground network.