OK, so i listen to a lot of comedy podcasts and whilst there are only a handful that I listen to on a regular basis I tend to listen to them because they make me laugh, they are sort of like a comfort blanket or they make me have an easy laugh to brighten up a day. So, I decided to do a podcast month every year on this site to expand both my knowledge and interest in new podcasts that are available so that you know what new ones are out there, give podcasts that are up and coming a place to promote their work and also just to inform everyone on a podcast that you may be missing out on.

So, as always for Podcast Month, I am going to delve into the archives and list to you some of my own personal favourite podcasts as well as episodes that you must listen to because they are a delight to listen to and you may of missed out the first time round.

Tom Craine’s Story Show

Epsiode: Episode 9 – Mates (with Tiernan Douieb and Alex Brooker)

About: This show came off the back of Tom being a regular guest on the Radio X Josh Widdicombe show, this was solely a podcast and is all about stories. Each episode is about a different topic and every week there was about 2-3 guests on to talk about a story that is relevant to this topic. Tom Craine is a name you may hear flitting around everywhere as he is a man of many talents – a comedian, a writer on many shows including Josh and The Last Leg.

Why Do you Like It: When i first heard this episode I found Alex Brookers story so funny that I burst out laughing so loud on the busy train I was commuting on to work and got some very strange looks. Usually I am very good at keeping my laughter in or able to silently laugh but the story was so unexpected I sort of just burst. I re-listened to this episode recently and it is still absolutely hilarious it is such a funny story that you do not expect.

Rating: 7/10

The Josh Widdicombe Show Podcast

Episode: Episode 84 – Cabagin the Resolution / Live From the Edinburgh Fringe

About: The show was an edited version of the live radio show that went out on the weekend on Radio X (XFM back then). The main focus of the show was centred around weekly topics for the listeners to Tweet in or email about, random conversations between Josh and the UKs biggest up and coming comedians (such as James Acaster, John Robins, Nish Kumar, Suzi Ruffell, Ivo Graham) and general chitter chatter and laughs with the producer Neal Fearn.

Why Do You Like It: Now, the reason that I have chosen the podcasts episodes that I have is because they are very funny episodes. The cabagi episode is a must – if you have watched Woult I Lie To You recently with James Acaster he talks about this story but does not give it the justice it deserves and this is the podcast episode where all of it originates from and all happened originally. Hearing a 30 year old talking about how he got his revenge on his friends son is the funnniest episode to come out of this show.

Now the reason I have mentioned the Live Episodes is because this is basically the funniest episodes of the whole show. A lot of the comics that appear at these live shows are all good friends in real life and it is evident with the banter that happesns between them all. Yet again, the person that makes these episodes really hilarious is James Acaster with his crazy anecdotes that are a bit more ‘adult’ as the others are on radio he couldn’t tell these.

Rating: 9/10

My Dad Wrote A Porno

Episode: S1E1 – ‘The Job Interview’

About: If you are a fan of books like 50 Shades of Grey then this pocast isn’t for you, however, if you are a fan of comedy and taking the mickey out of 50 Shades of Grey then this really IS the podcast for you!

Meet Jamie Morton, he found out that his 60 year old father decided to write a porno. Inspired by other books of erotica and his own fantasies he decides to write a book called Belinda Blinks. How does his son Jamie deal with the revelation? No, he does not ignore it, instead he decides to sit down around his kitchen table and read a chapter each week to the public and to his friends who join him – James Cooper and BBC Radio 1’s Alice Levine.

Why Do You Like It: I originally listenened to this podcast for an article for this site and the first ever episode was actually released at the time I was writing about podcasts. The reason I have chosen the first epsiode because if you have not heard this podcast, after one episode you would of laughed so much that you won’t want to put it down – and it is not just me. Millions of people download it montly AND they are doing a world tour at the moment to read the books live AND there are special versions of the book you can buy AND it has sort of started a cult following. It is also the first podcast to do a show at The Royal Albert Hall which is happening this year – i mean how crazy is that!!!

The thing that makes this podcast hilarious is that as he reads the book, his friends will intercept and criticise or discuss what they hear and the reactions and outcomes are very funny. It is so funny as a show, when I first listened to this show it was yet again on a commute from work and I found it very hard not to laugh out loud in a quiet carriage. It is very funny that you really want to do a massive belly laugh for some of it.

Rating: 9.5/10

The Ricky Gervais Podcast

Episode: All episodes

About: Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant met Karl when they made their epic return to XFM (now Radio X) and were given Pilkington as their producer. Originally, Karl used to just solely produce their show only participating now and again when Ricky would ask him his view on something. From finding out how funny or absurd some of his comments are, they started to make him a regular guest and a feature of the show.

This lead to hilarious outcomes, reactions from Ricky and Steve, features and results. When thee duo of Ricky and Steve decided to leave XFM, they started The Ricky Gervais Show podcast and their popularity began to increase even more.

Why Do You Like It? Out of every podcast I have listened to, I have definitely listened to this one the most by a long shot. It is so funny, It always makes me laugh without fail at the exact same parts every time. Karl Pilkington is just so funny sometimes without even realising it and this is what makes the podcast even funnier.

I sat there trying to choose a specific episode and i couldn’t they all just make me laugh too much. The one thing I will reccomend though is going to YouTube and searching for Karl vs Steve it is a video of all the times Karl Pilkington and Stephan Merchant have fought and it is one of the funniest things. It makes me laugh so much every single time.

Rating: 9.5/10