What we've been listening to in 2025

Podcasts have become an essential and entertaining way to stay informed. From deep dives into pressing issues and the latest news stories, to fresh perspectives on the world around us, here are some of the podcasts we have been listening to so far this year.

Politics and policy

One of the most thought-provoking discussions from the BBC’s The Bottom Line this year was ‘DEI – Are Businesses Dumping Workplace Diversity?’. As the US moves away from diversity and inclusion initiatives, presenter Evan Davis asks whether UK companies will follow suit. Over at The New Statesman, Rachel Cunliffe and Megan Kenyon explore ‘The Rise of the Super-Council’ and how shifts in local election rules are transforming governance at the grassroots level.

Power struggles within the Labour Party are exposed in an episode from The Story, ‘Who Really Runs the Labour Party?’, where journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund uncover who is really calling the shots. Meanwhile, in The New Statesman’s ‘What Does Trump 2.0 Mean for the UK?’, Freddie Hayward discusses how the second Trump administration could reshape Britain’s position on the world stage. 

Business and tech

The Bottom Line’s ‘Robots on the Doorstep – Is This the Future of Food Delivery?’ explores the growing presence of robots in everyday life, with Starship Technologies co-founder Ahti Heinla offering insights into whether autonomous deliveries are the future of convenience. Then, in Today in Focus’ episode, ‘How DeepSeek Stunned the AI Industry’,  Robert Booth reports on how Chinese AI company DeepSeek is shaking up the industry and what it means for global competition. And another episode from Today in Focus — ‘Why is AI So Thirsty?’ — examines the ethical and environmental questions around AI’s rapid development, shedding light on the resource-intensive nature of artificial intelligence. 

The Bottom Line also explores work-life balance in ‘A Four-Day Week – Less Work for More People?’, looking at whether less time in the office could actually improve productivity. And, in ‘The Science of Better Workplace Conversations’ from FT’s Working It, Harvard’s Alison Wood Brooks shares research-backed advice on how to get the most out of exchanges with your colleagues. 

Culture and society

Tackling one of today’s toughest questions, The Story from The Times and The Sunday Times asks: ‘Can You Live Without a Smartphone?’. The episode follows James Marriott’s experiment in living without a smartphone, a year-long journey that offers insight into digital detoxing and its impact on daily life. Then, the Audio Long Read from the Guardian examines Tokyo’s transition from being a futuristic megacity to one increasingly reliant on tourism, in ‘Tokyo Drift – What Happens When a City Stops Being the Future?’.

Investigations and deep dives

In ‘Lucy Letby and the Medical Experts Who Believe She is Innocent’ from Today in Focus, listen to evidence that throws doubt onto Letby’s conviction. And lastly, The Story’s ‘The Controversial Money Fuelling Britain’ breaks down The Sunday Times Tax List, exposing the wealthiest figures in Britain and the sometimes controversial sources of their fortunes.