When I’m not listening to Spotify in the car, I like to listen to a really good podcast or two, especially if it’s a long journey. So last week I was delighted to hear that one of my favourite new podcasts of the last year was back with a second series.
The Modern Mann is the creation of experienced presenter, podcast genius and generally all-round top bloke Olly Mann, of award winning Answer Me This! and LBC fame. In some ways it’s a classic magazine show aimed mainly at British men (though clearly popular with the ladies and indeed the rest of the world too), yet it is quite different to anything else being broadcast at the moment. Which makes it a very refreshing listen.
The show comprises three broad segments each week. It opens with The Zeitgeist, an overview of what’s trending and interesting, co-hosted with Ollie Peart.
For me, the highlight of the show is the in-depth interview in the middle. This is where Olly Mann shows off his utter genius with an interview technique that many could learn from (he asks interesting questions and really listens to the answers – radical I know!)
The subject matters are varied, often unexpected but are always fascinating. This week, we get to learn what it’s like to be a male model although as so often there’s more to it than that (the model in question having an interesting back story as an ex-con who’d done time for having been involved in the 2010 student riots in a briefly high profile way). Highlights of Series 1 included being in prison, a film extra and having a gambling addiction. And if that sounds depressing, it’s so much better and more interesting than it sounds. This type of a one-on-one interview is what podcasting is perfect for.
The show then finishes on a slightly racier note with “sexpert” Alix Fox providing guidance and advice on a wide range of naughty matters in The Foxhole. Again this can be fascinating, sometimes amusing, and sometimes, every now and then, makes you feel just a little bit sick in the mouth (you’ll be far better informed about every aspect of the foreskin after this episode). How many other podcasts can do that?!
The show is compulsive listening and I thoroughly recommend you check out the new series, available from all of the usual places including iTunes and TuneIn. New episodes are released every Tuesday.
Never Miss a Beat 