Would you like to have dinner with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, hear about a cyclist who was caught with a motor inside her bike, or get some new film recommendations? Then this week’s podcasts are for you.

To My Sisters

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Society

In sisterhood, women are empowered, and that’s the secret to what has made To My Sisters, a podcast hosted by friends and “online big sisters” Courtney Daniella Boateng and Renée Kapuku, such a huge success.

From the global sisterhood that has grown from a few hundred listeners to hundreds of thousands dedicated to “growing and glowing together”, and an upcoming live show in South Africa, to a recent billboard feature in Leicester Square and two other cities across the UK, it was lovely hearing the pair talk about some of the incredible milestones they have reached since the podcast’s inception in 2020.

In this week’s episode, they read out a “Ding Ding Dilemma” from one of their loyal listeners – ironically based in South Africa – who is in a complicated relationship and might be pregnant.

It’s what led them to talk more extensively about why some women have given up hope on finding a life partner, and started to embrace being single more, and whether finding ‘Mr Right’ is nothing but a pipe dream.

From this episode alone, it’s obvious that community is the fuel that keeps the To My Sisters fire burning.

Love Island: The Morning After 

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Relationships

It’s here. It’s here. It’s finally here. ITV’s Love Island All Stars, where our favourite ex-Love Islanders get a second chance at love, has started. And to accompany each episode, the Love Island: The Morning After podcast is back too.

Hosted by Indiyah Polack, Amy Hart and Sam Thompson, in the latest episode they welcome comedian Abi Clarke, who sums up last night’s episode in three words: “Very, underwhelming and Callum”. She was disappointed with Callum’s pick of the night, his ex-girlfriend Molly, after looking forward to last night’s episode for the last two days and playing out all possible scenarios in her head.

They share their hopes and dreams for the Love Island couples and discuss whether Liberty is the answer to Mitch’s prayers, while looking ahead to the previews for tonight’s episode.

If you are a Love Island fan like Hart – whom Polack referred to as a Love Island encyclopedia – the podcast produced by Lifted Entertainment is a fun way to get more unfiltered behind-the-scenes chat about the latest villa action.

Dinner’s On Me With Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre:  Society, TV and comedy

Dinner’s On Me With Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a podcast produced by Sony. The American actor takes some of his friends – both new and old – from behind the cameras and to some of his favourite restaurants across Los Angeles and New York City, where they have a delicious meal and candid conversations that can only happen over a glass of wine.

When he was putting a list together of some of his dream guests, Ed O’Neill, who has played his TV dad on Modern Family for many years, was at the top.

Over some fancy sandwiches from the charming Lunetta in Santa Monica by owner and chef Raphael Lunetta, O’Neill, who is not on social media and quite shy around the press, does what he does best and tells some compelling stories about his life and career as a veteran actor.

The warm and comfortable ambience from the restaurant is palpable, pulling the listener in and creating a wonderful backdrop for the candid conversation the veteran actor goes on to have with his co-star.

But I think the most candid moment of the interview was when O’Neill spoke about when he considered a life of organised crime in the late Sixties before heading to New York to pursue a career in acting.

I think I both laughed and gasped because I was pleasantly surprised to hear how much he was willing to share, but also moved by how desperate he was to find a job in his hometown in Ohio.

Talking Pictures

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Film

We all remember how a movie makes us feel. When it scares us or when it made us just cry our eyes out. We also know the ones that changed our outlook on life and inspired us to pivot in our careers.

Talking Pictures, a new podcast hosted by the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Ben Mankiewicz in partnership with streaming service Max, brought back all my favourite movie memories.

The first episode was with the iconic writer-director Nancy Meyers, who is responsible for Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated and The Holiday, and it was a treat.

Meyers is known for her sharp scripts but in recent years she has become known for her focus on the interior of her sets. It’s what inspired the #NancyMeyersAesthetic hashtag trending on TikTok with over 27 million views.

If you are a movie-lover, who loves to talk about film, this podcast is for you. Listen in as guests swap stories, jokes, and surprising moments, and share endless movie recommendations. Your movies to-watch list will never run dry.

Spotlight on…

5. Ghost in the Machine

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Sports

Ghost in the Machine is a new investigative podcast produced by Stak and hosted by sports journalist Chris Marshall-Bell, where he exclusively interviews Belgian cyclist Femke Van den Driessche, who was caught with a motor inside her bike at the Cyclo-cross World Championships in January 2016.

This got Driessche suspended for six years and she became the first rider to be banned by The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

From jail time, bankruptcy and death threats to carnival cat costumes and one daring canary theft – this story is set to keep you on the edge of your seats. The aim is for Marshall-Bell to get to the bottom of motors in cycling, as he also speaks to some of the people who were at the centre of the unearthing at the time, and current and ex-riders, including Tour de France winners, on whether they think motors have been used in cycling. Is motor doping being performed at the highest level? You can find out now.

6. Rare Earth  

Streaming platform: All streaming platforms

Genre: Environment

Do you still have those random questions about what’s really going on in the natural world? Well, BBC Radio 4’s new podcast series – out January 19 with a new episode every Friday – may be your new favourite listen.

Hosted by BBC environmental journalist and Countryfile reporter Tom Heap, and physicist and author Helen Czerski, the podcast will explore some of the biggest stories about the environment.

In each episode, Heap and Czerski will aim to answer at least one key question, with expert studio guests, alongside the original reporting from across the world.

Taking a new approach to the big questions facing us and our planet, Rare Earth will explore the complex relationship between humanity and the rest of nature. They will focus widely on natural history and dive deep into urgent environmental issues.