A Sugababe reveals her hardcore system for dating: best podcasts of the week

Somewhere between The Receipts and Loose Women, this podcast brings together five women of colour for chats. It’s an upbeat affair, but the panellists don’t shy away from tough topics. Sugababe Keisha Buchanan is frank about screening potential partners for 90 days, while TikToker Tara Thorpe explains the issues that nearly ended her marriage (“the only reason why I didn’t get a divorce is because I didn’t have the £550 …”). Hannah J Davies
BBC Sounds, episodes weekly

Spiral

This new series from Tortoise and the Observer will linger in your brain long after listening. Technology editor Patricia Clarke meets people whose mental health has been deeply affected by their use of AI chatbots – perhaps not causing illness, but exacerbating existing issues via tech’s dangerous tendency to blur the lines between fiction and reality. HJD
Widely available, from Tuesday

The Late-Night Parent Club

From MadeForMums, this series from Traitors’ star Minah Shannon has been created for parents who are still awake in the early hours and looking for some reassurance. She speaks to experts such as Dr Punam Krishan and The Modern Midwife Marie Louise for a calming and helpful chat. Hollie Richardson
Widely available, episodes twice weekly

Bear Brook: A Private Matter

The acclaimed investigative strand from New Hampshire Public Radio returns for its third season with an instantly intriguing mystery. Christmas tree farmer Jay Hickey went missing at the end of 2023 – yet his wife Patricia didn’t report it to police, and months passed before anyone realised he had disappeared. Expect top-drawer, twisty true crime. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly

High Stakes

Not content to let Barack Obama have all the pod fun, Hillary Clinton is co-hosting this midterms series with journalist Kara Swisher. From Trump’s aborted plan for a livestreamed execution to the crippling cost of living, Clinton is on top form, drolly noting “my approval rating is always sky high when I’m not running for something”. HJD
Widely available, episodes weekly