Stay informed with free updates
Simply sign up to the Arts myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.
Big news in the world of interview podcasts. Days after British writer and comedian Adam Buxton revealed he will likely end his chart-topping series when his elderly dog Rosie dies (his companion on the walks that bookend each episode), American comic Marc Maron announced he is retiring his long running pod WTF. Since Maron and Buxton began their podcasts (in 2009 and 2015, respectively), celebrity interview series have multiplied. But both their shows have remained a cut above, yielding the kind of wide-ranging and in-depth conversations seldom found elsewhere.
Those casting about for successors might consider Rylan Clark, the former reality TV star who found fame after a bout of theatrical sobbing on The X Factor. It turns out Rylan, who now goes by his first name only, is a gifted presenter, hosting his own show on BBC Radio 2, deputising on TV’s The One Show and even making a cameo in Doctor Who. Now he has a new project, a “visualised podcast” (meaning you can watch or listen) called Rylan: How To Be in Love. The conceit is that the host is single and looking for love, and wants advice from his guests on all matters romantic. Really it’s just a quick route to a deep conversation in which insecurities and aspirations are shared.
The opening episode doesn’t showcase Rylan’s skills too well. His guest is Stephen Fry, who knows what is expected of him: literary references interspersed with self-deprecation and occasional bursts of smut. He is amiable and amusing, particularly when reflecting on his period of celibacy and his feelings about the “damp, tufted areas of the human body”, though Rylan barely gets a word in.
The second episode featuring Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka musician Self Esteem, better shows off his interviewing chops. Taylor, who is known for her explicit lyrics, is winningly blunt about her love life, talking of past relationships with men and women, the challenges posed by monogamy and her belief that marriage is “stupid”. Gently prompted by Rylan, she also talks about a traumatic relationship with a man from which, she says, “there was no way out. And to not give [them] what they wanted, my safety would be compromised . . . Ultimately men can kill you, and you do live your life constantly trying to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
It is one of the curses of celebrity podcasts that small talk is encouraged and mutual flattery is often considered charming. Mercifully, Rylan gets to the point quickly. He is also a careful listener, following up casual asides with a simple “Why?” Both conversations come in at 40 minutes — enough time to dig deep without labouring the theme. Buxton and Maron will be missed but, in Rylan’s hands, the future of the interview pod feels secure.
bbc.co.uk
Read the full article here