Author Archives: Christopher Darling

• 2024 has been our biggest and best yet

  2024 has been our biggest and best yet.

  We’ve launched new shows:

  ☎️ Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right
  🕵️‍♂️ The Traitors: Uncloaked
  💋 Rivals: The Official Podcast
  🍻 M&S’ Proper Tasty Pub Quiz
  🎵 Pop Top 10 with Scott Mills and Rylan
  ⚽ 53 Minutes
  🧸 Child
  🗺️ Punt & Dennis: Route Masters
  💖 Famously in Love
  💬 Communicating with Ros Atkins
  👩 Where To Be A Woman
  🚨 What The Fraud?
  💪 Unstoppable
  🌼 Tonies: In the night garden Bedtime with Upsy Daisy

  Started production on existing shows:

  📈 PwC’s Take on Tomorrow
  🏏 The Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club
  ⏳ The Official Doctor Who Podcast

  Continued production on:

  👭 French & Saunders Titting About
  🌱 Game Changers (re-launched)
  💻 Invest in Progress
  🧠 CIPD
  👥 Digital HR Leaders

  ‍Produced 16 radio strands a week including Radio 1 Rock Show, British Asian Music Chart and Radio 2’s Sound of the 80s. 📻

  And welcomed 4 new members of the team – as well as many new freelancers.

  It’s been a major year and we will kick off 2025 in style – a podcast on TV on New Year’s Day.🎉

• Listen Hires Ex-Diary of a CEO’s Emma Williams as Director of Marketing and Partnerships

  London, 3rd October — Leading podcast production company, Listen is proud to announce the appointment of Emma Williams as Director of Marketing and Partnerships, a newly formed role that will see her lead the company’s commercial and growth strategy across their award-winning visualised slate, expanding originals and Labs, its marketing and consultancy division.

  Emma brings 15 years of PR and media expertise, including a standout three-year stint at The Diary of a CEO, where she was involved from its startup phase. She played a pivotal role in the podcast’s rapid growth, securing extensive press coverage and booking major guests such as Stephen Fry, Lewis Capaldi, and Louis Theroux. Emma also expanded the podcast’s distribution to 14 airlines, including BA, Emirates, and Jet Blue, and launched the first video podcast fast channel on Samsung TV Plus across the UK, Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands. Additionally, she worked on the USA chart-topping podcast, Modern Wisdom, hosted by Chris Williamson, securing high-profile guests and new distribution opportunities to broaden the show’s reach and impact.

  At Listen, Emma will enhance and grow the existing podcast slate, while driving fresh creative and commercial opportunities for talent-led original podcasts. Through Listen Labs, she will enhance and grow the premier podcast consultancy, trusted by top brands like Netflix, The Telegraph, and SheerLuxe. Emma brings her exceptional partnership expertise, having driven innovative collaborations with leading brands including WHOOP, The Financial Times, and Mercedes.

  Josh Adley, Managing Director at Listen, says: “Emma joins us at a hugely exciting time for the company, 2024 has been our most widely recognised and commercially successful year to date. As we move into the next phase of Listen’s growth, Emma’s unrivalled experience of building global podcast brands and securing flagship commercial deals will add significant value to Listen’s shows. The insight she will bring to Listen Labs will be invaluable to our clients.”

  Emma Williams adds: “With its reputation as a leader in visualised podcasts, I’m incredibly excited to be joining Listen at such a pivotal time. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and contributing to the ongoing success and growth of its exceptional diverse podcast slate and beyond!”

  The Listen team have never been busier, with the recent launch of M&S’s Proper Tasty Pub Quiz, hosted by chef Tom Kerridge and broadcaster Chris Stark, a new season of The Traitors: Uncloaked confirmed, and a continued focus on the third series of Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right, following its British Podcast Award win last week. Plus, Rylan and Scott Mills continue to bring their signature charm and wit to new BBC visualised podcast, Pop Top 10, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through pop culture.

• How we told the story of football’s biggest mystery

  

  53 Minutes is the completely unbelievable – and completely true – story of football’s biggest mystery: Ali Dia.

  “Ali Dia has long been a bit of an urban legend for football fans – most of us have heard the name, or the chants, but the reality behind his story is often entirely misunderstood at best. Ali fascinated me because he’s as much a name in football as he was 25 years ago. The idea for 53 Minutes came from really wanting to get to the truth of this story that has yet to be told in full.” – Aidan Judd, Series Producer.

  Through this six episode miniseries, we tell the story of Ali Dia, while exploring the reality of what was going on in the football scene in the 90s, unearthing the exceptional circumstances that allowed a below average footballer to find his way onto football’s most elite stage, the Premier League.

  The show landed at #1 in the Sports charts on Apple Podcast and Spotify, as well as in the Top 5 Podcasts overall. Since launch, 53 Minutes has been featured by Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, The Guardian and many others.

  Football’s biggest mystery, as told by those who were there

  How do you track down someone that disappeared from the public eye 28 years ago? By finding and speaking to everyone that was there and involved at the time.

  We began by plotting out the central figures to this bizarre moment in football history, including footballers Matt Le Tissier, Ken Monkou, Francis Benali, Paul Thompson, Peter Harrison and Simo Valakari, as well as football journalists Ed Aarons, Frank Simon, Amy Lawrence, Graham Nickless, John Gibson, Graham Hiley, Steve Menary, Kelly Naqi and former football agent Winston Makamure, Southampton club historian Duncan Holley and Mady Touré who is the CEO of Generation Foot.

  Securing Graham Souness’ participation, despite his previous reluctance to discuss Ali’s famous kick-about, marked a significant moment in the show, and for the team behind it.

  That wasn’t enough and we needed to get closer to Ali, which we did by speaking to those who knew – and played – with him. Until we finally tracked him down…but you’ll have to listen to hear what Ali had to say.

  

  Hosted by comedy legends…

  Award-winning comedian Josh Widdicombe and Mock The Week’s Dara Ó Briain bring their hilarious chemistry to this addictive story. Their genuine interest in unveiling the details of what happened makes this narrative a must-listen for both comedy lovers and sports history fans alike.

  Josh Widdicombe said “It is an honour to be asked to host this podcast on the greatest mystery of the greatest decade in the history of football. Like any football fan with their priorities right I see the story of Ali Dia as the sacred text of the sport and so I hope we can do it justice. Also, what a joy to be working with Dara and not have him ask me for some unlikely things you’d see in an action film.”

  Dara Ó Briain added: “I jumped at the chance to finally get the truth about the legend that is Ali Dia, even though that might involve asking Graham Souness a question and getting a hard stare back.”

  

  Binge the full series of 53 Minutes, out now.

• Companion podcasts: A Love Island case study

  From the top of podcast charts to viral TikTok videos, companion podcasts are everywhere. Have you ever wondered why companion podcasts are becoming increasingly popular among TV production companies and viewers alike? We’ll be taking a closer look at one such podcast, Love Island: The Morning After, whose latest season was produced by the Listen team in collaboration with ITV.

  🧠 What are companion podcasts?

  Companion podcasts, refer to those shows that accompany a TV series or movie. Often hosted by super-fans or cast-members themselves, a companion podcast provide a space for those that love a TV series or movie to get more from that content.

  📺 What does a companion podcast look like?

  • The behind-the-scenes and ‘making of’ podcast: often featuring interviews with cast and crew to spill exclusive insights on what it was like to be on set and point out minor details even mega-fans could miss. Think Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast [LINK]
  • The recap and analysis podcasts: such as episode reviews or discussion of plot points and events – e.g. Love Island: The Morning After, Netflix’s We Have The Receipts, Geordie Shore: The Podcast, Dishonest Fun: The Circle’s Official Podcast
  • Fictional extension of the film or programme – e.g. Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins, a Stranger Things spin-off podcast from Netflix

  🌴 What is Love Island: The Morning After?

  Love Island: The Morning After is produced in collaboration with ITV and is a daily companion podcast to the ultimate reality TV show, Love Island. Hosted by ex-Islander Indiyah Polack and Sam Thompson, the Love Island super-fan of MIC fame, the podcast offers daily commentary and analysis of the previous evening’s episode, as well as interviews with ex-Islanders and those who have been dumped in the current season.

  🏆 What makes Love Island: The Morning After a hit?

  By featuring interviews with former contestants and those who have been dumped in the current season, the podcast helps listeners to get to know the contestants on a more personal level. This, in turn, can create a stronger emotional connection between viewers and the show, which can lead to increased loyalty and engagement – viewers are more likely to keep tuning in to Love Island if they are more invested in the cast and the storylines.

  The podcast has also been successful in extending the reach of the Love Island franchise beyond the show’s broadcast. By providing daily commentary and analysis of the previous evening’s episode, the podcast keeps viewers engaged with the show on a daily basis, even when the show is not on air. This helps to create a sense of continuity, buzz and excitement around the show, which can lead to increased viewership and engagement.

  👀 Why do you need a companion podcast?

  1. A huge audience is up for grabs According to Podtrac, the top 10 TV companion podcasts had a combined average weekly audience of over 2 million listeners in 2020. This means there’s a huge opportunity to attract new audiences for your TV show or film.
  2. In Love Island’s case, the podcast helps to drive awareness of the show and creates a dialogue around it, becoming a discussion point among friends and fans online and generating millions of downloads.
  3. The TV & Film category is booming According to Ofcom’s April 2023 Podcast Survey, 46% of podcast listeners tune into TV and Film podcasts at least once a month, and an impressive 51% have listened to a podcast linked to a TV programme – a 4% increase from 2022. This demonstrates that there’s a growing appetite for TV & Film content, making now a great time to capitalise on this increased interest.
  4. Love Island: The Morning After satisfies this demand and meets TV-loving audiences where they are already consuming other podcast content. ITV capitalising on this with the Love Island podcast has meant the show appeared consistently in the top 10 TV & Film podcasts for the duration of this latest winter season.
  5. Deepen the connection with viewers According to a study by HBO Max, 85% of those who listened to a programme’s official podcast felt more connected to the show. Companion podcasts provide an additional platform for engaging with viewers and building a dedicated fan base. By offering behind-the-scenes insights and interviews with show insiders, companion podcasts can help to deepen viewers’ connection to the show, which is more likely to result in viewers making Love Island part of their TV viewing routine and coming back again for subsequent seasons.
  6. Grow the community around your show Companion podcasts help to continue the conversation around a show or film and provide an opportunity to connect fans together. This can help to create a sense of community around the show, which can be particularly valuable for fans who may not have anyone in their immediate social circle who shares their love of the show.In the case of Love Island: The Morning After, this is visible in the number of reviews and ratings left on the podcast itself, as well as in mentions of the podcast and its hosts across social media – not to mention engagement on social posts from the Love Island official accounts.

  In conclusion, companion podcasts like Love Island: The Morning After are a valuable addition to the TV landscape. They offer TV shows an additional platform for engaging with viewers and building a dedicated fan base, while also providing viewers with a deeper understanding of the show and its production, as well as opportunities for engagement and community building.