Best Rachel Townsend Podcasts (2024)

1
Democracy or Else (with Jon Lovett) 48:01

4m ago48:01

48:01

Crooked Media’s Jon Lovett joins Sam to debrief the DNC and why Chicago is the perfect combination of sweatpants and sandwich town. They discuss his decision to go on Survivor and why it’s the best way to see how democracy works up close. Plus, Sam and Jon get into why movies are too long, the best way to moderate debates, and the power of young pe…

1
97: Benedict Townsend: Lisa Simpson & Nelson Muntz 1:03:09

5d ago1:03:09

1:03:09

In today's episode, we see that young love can be just as heartbreaking and nuanced as any adult relationship - especially if the people concerned have stayed at the age of eight for 35years... which is exactly the state of play for Lisa Simpson and her bad boy love interest Nelson Muntz. Yes, that right, we're going all the way back to the golden …

1
96: Emergency Episode! Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck 49:35

1d ago49:35

49:35

STOP ALL THE CLOCKS... CUT OFF THE PHONE... STOP THE DOG FROM BARKING WITH A JUICY BONE... The day has finally arrived when the bell has tolled on Bennifer 2:0. As you can imagine, the WhatsApp group sprang into action to bring you the SECOND emergency episode this week, as Grainne and Chantal invite Viv Groskop back on the show to once again pick …

1
Bumper Preview | Arnold Clark Men's and Women's Premierships 35:17

1h ago35:17

35:17

Caroline Blair and Chris Paterson journey into clubland to preview the 2024/25 season of the Arnold Clark Men's and Women's Premierships. At Bridgehaugh, home of Stirling County, Caroline is joined by ex-Scotland international Megan Gaffney and Stirling skipper Ciorstaidh Ainsworth to look at the runners and riders for the Arnold Clark Women's Prem…

1
Make History or Repeat History? (with Symone Sanders Townsend) 51:29

15m ago51:29

51:29

Co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend and former senior advisor to Vice President Harris Symone Sanders Townsend joins Sam for DNC week! Sam and Symone talk about how as kids they both hosted fake news shows, where she was when she heard President Biden was ending his campaign, why Symone had to make a pro/con list when deciding to leave the White House, …

1
95: Emergency Episode! Molly-Mae & Tommy Fury 29:09

3h ago29:09

29:09

STOP THE PRESS! Another celebrity break-up has rocked our world, so Grainne and Chantal dropped everything to bring us this emergency episode, discussing what happened to make Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury finally call it quits. We hear all the ins and outs that lead up to our star-crossed lovers publicly announcing their split, and we get the answers t…

1
TWQ Mini: Kevin Barry talks about his “abandoned Butte, Montana, novel” in this sneak peek of The Write Question’s eighteenth season 9:31

1h ago9:31

9:31

For this mini episode, host Lauren Korn gives listeners a look into the eighteenth season of ‘The Write Question,’ coming this fall. In this sneak peak, you’ll hear Irish author Kevin Barry talking about ‘The Heart in Winter’ (Doubleday Books; Penguin Random House).By Lauren Korn

1
94: Amy Matthews: Alex Turner & Alexa Chung 1:03:00

9d ago1:03:00

1:03:00

In this week's episode of TWTW, we are transported back to the first decade of the new millennium, when the IT girl of the era hitched her wagon to the frontman de jour, and we were gifted with Alexa Chung and Alex Turner stepping out at Glasto and gracing the gossip pages. Comedian Amy Matthews is to thank for finally allowing us a good old dissec…

1
Hot or Not? (with Tony Goldwyn) 46:52

6d ago46:52

46:52

Actor and activist Tony Goldwyn joins Sam and talks about how he rides the waves of success—sometimes people want you and sometimes they don’t—and how he’s learned to be ok not chasing roles that weren’t right for him. They also talk about how at a pivotal moment in his career Tony decided to stay in New York and do a small Off-Broadway play rather…

1
93: Justin Myers: Madonna & Sean Penn 1:04:34

18d ago1:04:34

1:04:34

This episode of The Way They Were is far from immaterial, as we take a holiday, with none other than Madonna and Sean Penn! Yes, thanks to author Justin Myers it's 1986 again, and the hottest man in movies just so happens to hook up with overnight mega star, Madonna .... and as you can imagine, everything went really well, with zero dramas... NOT! …

1
Understand or Ignore: America’s Gun Problem (with Roxane Gay) 50:32

5d ago50:32

50:32

In her new essay, “Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem,” Roxane Gay details her decision to become a gun owner and why she doesn’t think the US has missed its window on meaningful gun control. Sam and Roxane also discuss why you never want to peak in high school, the shift to writing for TV, and how the worst fo…

1
92: Caroline O'Donoghue: John Mulaney & Anna Marie Tendler 1:11:15

17d ago1:11:15

1:11:15

If you've been wondering just when your hot girl summer will begin, well it starts NOW, as Grainne and Chantal are back with a brand new series of The Way They Were. Kicking things off, we have the wonderful author, Caroline O' Donoghe who allows us all to bathe in the hot mess of the mid 2010s when our couple got hitched, right the way to the Covi…

1
Choices We Made: Make Comedy or Watch Comedy? (with Nick Kroll) 39:51

12d ago39:51

39:51

When comedian Nick Kroll decided to end his hit show “Kroll Show” he wasn’t totally sure what he would do next. But it was important to him to decide something was done rather than drag it out. Sam asks Nick about how he’s so good at zeroing in on what he genuinely wants, finding the funniest people in the room to make Big Mouth, and how to decide …

1
Theater or Therapist? (with Rachel Dratch) 41:26

19d ago41:26

41:26

When Rachel Dratch was growing up, she figured she’d have some sort of “normal” career like therapist. Then she saw a performance of Annie and thought she could be one of the people on stage too. Sam talks to Rachel about how important it is to ask for the parts you want (and then winning a Tony for it), how the biggest thing that ever happened to …

1
NYU or Nowhere? (with Paul Scheer) 51:56

26d ago51:56

51:56

When Paul Scheer was a senior in high school he decided that he would only apply to NYU because if it was good enough for Theo Huxtable, it was good enough for him. Sam talks to Paul about decisions he’s made since then (not based on Theo Huxtable), like having kids and deciding what kind of parent to be. They bond over being “latchkey kids,” the c…

1
Live Show Announcement! 2:54

27d ago2:54

2:54

We're so excited to announce that Grainne and Chantal are back with another live podcast recording on October 19th in London as part of the Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival. Tickets are on sale now so get it in your diary! No excuses! Spend your Saturday afternoon with us at the beautiful Bedford Pub in Balham. Stay tuned to hear who our special gu…

1
Encore: ‘This is Wildfire’: Nick Mott and Justin Angle follow award-winning podcast with “first of its kind” guide 29:02

1M ago29:02

29:02

This week, MTPR is encoring host Lauren Korn’s conversation with podcasters and authors Nick Mott and Justin Angle; the three talk about the nuances of wildfire: ‘This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat’ (Bloomsbury Publishing) “offers everything you need to know about fire in one useful volume.”…

1
International Relations or International Popstar? (with Rachel Platten) 47:36

1M ago47:36

47:36

While in college, Rachel Platten was on the path to a career in international relations. But then she decided to switch course and swap a semester abroad in Spain for a semester abroad in Trinidad where she fell in love with music. She now has a song that has been streamed more than a billion times (Fight Song) and a new album “I Am Rachel Platten”…

1
From the beginning to 50 caps | Jamie Ritchie 45:29

1M ago45:29

45:29

Scotland and Edinburgh backrower Jamie Ritchie is this week's guest on the Official Scottish Rugby Podcast. He talks to Caroline and Chris about his journey to winning his 50th cap for Scotland in Washington on Friday night. Scotland take on USA as part of the Skyscanner Americas Tour and Ritchie will reach another milestone six years on from winni…

1
Doctor or Doc…umentary Filmmaker? (with Joy-Ann Reid) 55:54

1M ago55:54

55:54

When MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid was growing up she was expected to be a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Then she decided to drop out of Harvard, ditch her doctor aspirations, and re-enroll as a documentary film major. These days the biggest decision Joy makes every day is deciding what news stories to include in her show The ReidOut. Sam talks to Joy ab…

1
At home with Ben Healy and Harry Paterson 22:03

1M ago22:03

22:03

Before jetting out to Canada for the opening game of the Skyscanner Americas Tour, Ben Healy and Harry Paterson invited Caroline Blair over for a cup of tea and a chat at their flat in Edinburgh. The Scotland and Edinburgh backs have been living together for the past four months and in this special episode they chat about what they get up to away f…

1
ManagerMirror S6E7: Modeling Curiosity with Rachel Bradshaw 31:54

2M ago31:54

31:54

Google Marketplace Strategic Initiatives Manager Rachel Bradshaw joins me discussing how she’s influenced product development as a stakeholder. She also shares her 3 pillars for of career assessment and a model she follows for creating new roles.By Brad Bilen

1
College or Kitchen? (with Alison Roman) 41:40

2M ago41:40

41:40

While a student, Alison Roman made a life-changing decision to leave college to start working in a restaurant kitchen and has never looked back. Sam talks to Alison about being such a decisive person, creating viral recipes, the magic of pasta water, weighing information and intuition and making the content for yourself that you wish to see in the …

1
Glasgow Warriors Win URC | Huw Jones & Peter Murchie 32:55

2M ago32:55

32:55

Caroline Blair and Chris Paterson sit down with Huw Jones and Peter Murchie at Scotstoun to discuss Glasgow's win over the Bulls, which saw them win the URC in Pretoria on Saturday evening. Jones chats about how they had to come back from 13-0 down to win the title for just the second time in the club’s history. Murchie, the Warriors defence coach,…

1
Woman in Late Night or Woman on Tour? (with Taylor Tomlinson) 49:28

2M ago49:28

49:28

When Taylor Tomlinson was interviewing to be the host of After Midnight, she wasn’t even sure she wanted the job. She loved making her own schedule as a touring stand up comedian, and loved her road family. But when the network said she would still have time to be on the road, it was an easy decision to say yes. Sam asks Taylor about how the stakes…

1
Dr. Alan Townsend: “You don’t have to be a scientist to have a scientific lens on the world and let that influence your life in positive ways” 29:00

2M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks to Dr. Alan Townsend, author of ‘This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder’ (Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group).By Lauren Korn

1
Make Comedy or Watch Comedy? (with Nick Kroll) 39:51

2M ago39:51

39:51

When comedian Nick Kroll decided to end his hit show “Kroll Show” he wasn’t totally sure what he would do next. But it was important to him to decide something was done rather than drag it out. Sam asks Nick about how he’s so good at zeroing in on what he genuinely wants, finding the funniest people in the room to make Big Mouth, and how to decide …

1
Gregor Townsend | Skyscanner Americas Tour Squad Announcement 36:32

2M ago36:32

36:32

Caroline Blair and Chris Paterson sit down with Scotland men's Head Coach Gregor Townsend to discuss the 37-man squad he has selected for the upcoming Skyscanner Americas Tour. Scotland will play Canada, USA, Chile and Uruguay in July and the squad selected includes 10 uncapped players. Townsend talks about the benefits of the tour, why he has chos…

1
Maxim Loskutoff: “What Montana represents to me is an entire species-wide need to re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world” 29:00

2M ago29:00

29:00

By Lauren Korn

1
Presenting Wild Card with Rachel Martin 31:12

2M ago31:12

31:12

Here’s some good news! Choice Words is coming back for season two on June 13th! Get ready for more amazing (and questionable) choices from great guests like Nick Kroll, who we’ll be kicking things off with. In the meantime, today we’re bringing you a special new podcast from our friends at NPR: Wild Card with Rachel Martin. On the show, Rachel rips…

1
“The truth of the West is a constellation”: Betsy Gaines Quammen discusses ‘Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America’ 29:00

3M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with historian and author Betsy Gaines Quammen about ‘True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America’ (Torrey House Press).By Lauren Korn

1
91: Emergency Episode! Eamonn Holmes & Ruth Langsford 20:39

3M ago20:39

20:39

STOP THE PRESS! The Way They Were bring you an emergency episode following the demise of one of daytime TV's greatest love stories. Where were you on Saturday 25th May 2024, when Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford announced they are divorcing? Well, Grainne and Chantal were all over the Whatsapp group in the aftermath of this devastating news and saw…

1
TWQ Mini: NPR’s Rachel Martin attempts to “hold the light” and “lean into weird” in new podcast, ‘Wild Card’ 12:53

3M ago12:53

12:53

For this mini episode of ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with NPR’s Rachel Martin about her new podcast, ‘Wild Card’—part-interview, part-existential game show.By Lauren Korn

1
Pieter de Villiers | Scrum School 38:17

3M ago38:17

38:17

Scotland assistant coach, Pieter de Villiers joins Chris and Caroline on this week's episode of the Official Scottish Rugby Podcast to chat all things scrums. Ahead of this weekend's Community Game Conference at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, where Pieter is hosting two scrum workshops, he speaks about the link between the physical, tactical and physiol…

1
“Grief was a safe space for me”: Victoria Chang on engaging with the work of abstract artist Agnes Martin 29:00

3M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with poet Victoria Chang, author of ‘With My Back to the World’ (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), a collection that engages with the paintings and writings of celebrated abstract artist Agnes Martin.By Lauren Korn

1
Choices We Made: Logic or Emotion? (with Stephen Dubner) 47:17

3M ago47:17

47:17

As the author and podcast host of “Freakonomics,” Stephen Dubner spends a lot of time thinking about and studying what goes into good decision-making. In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, he gives Sam tips on balancing logic with emotion, offers ways to use your imagination to help you make a choice, and defends the coin-flip method. Fol…

1
Choices We Made: Honest Conversations or Family Secrets? (with Laura Dern and Diane Ladd) 41:31

3M ago41:31

41:31

When Laura Dern found out that her mother, Diane Ladd, had scarring on her lungs, the doctor told her to be gentle with her mom because she’d be dead in 6 months. Laura chose to challenge that diagnosis by taking her mother on regular walks to expand her lung capacity. Not only did it work, but it turned into a new book co-written by the two award-…

1
The possibility of a door left open: Leonard S. Marcus helps celebrate 50 years of children’s programming on MTPR 29:00

3M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ we’re celebrating 50 years of children’s programming on Montana Public Radio. During this episode, host Lauren Korn speaks with critic, biographer, and historian Leonard S. Marcus, one of the world’s leading writers and scholars on children’s books and the people who create them.…

1
From A Slight Change of Plans: “The Science of Making (and Keeping) Friends” 37:33

3M ago37:33

37:33

We’re bringing you an episode of A Slight Change of Plans from our friends at Pushkin. Named by Apple as the Best Show of the Year 2021, host Dr. Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are, and who we become, in the face of a big change. In this episode, psychologist Dr. Marisa…

1
TWQ Mini: Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series is coming to a close; the author is coming to the Helena Civic Center 13:44

3M ago13:44

13:44

On this mini episode of ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with Jacqueline Winspear, author of twenty novels, eighteen of which comprise the Maisie Dobbs series. The last installment in that series, ‘The Comfort of Ghosts,’ will be published June 4, 2024. Jacqueline is appearing in Helena, Montana, on Monday, May 13, 2024, at the Helena …

1
The Corrymeela Podcast, Season 3, Episode 6. Sef Townsend 47:07

3M ago47:07

47:07

Sef Townsend is a storyteller and musician. He’s collected stories and songs from his travels all around the globe, and has worked with refugees, people in exile and those in asylum detention. Sef’s work has included peace and reconciliation projects, and sharing his stories with audiences in schools, museums, churches, mosques and synagogues aroun…

1
‘With Every Great Breath’: Rick Bass on beauty, writing beyond his “cone of light,” and interrogating metaphor 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

This week on ‘The Write Question,’ host Lauren Korn speaks with author and environmental activist Rick Bass, author of ‘With Every Great Breath’ (Counterpoint Press), a collection of new and selected essays spanning nearly thirty years: from 1995-2023.By Lauren Korn

1
Kierkegaard or Californication? (with David Duchovny) 52:12

4M ago52:12

52:12

When actor David Duchovny was teaching his daughter to ride a bike, he made the questionable choice of taking her to the top of a grassy hill at Pepperdine University in Malibu and pointing her straight downhill toward Highway 1. Luckily she learned (quickly) how to brake, but he realized not all of his ideas are good ones. In fact, some are failur…

1
Hollie Davidson & Chelsea Gillespie | Same game, different shirt 35:25

4M ago35:25

35:25

Scottish Rugby referees, Hollie Davidson and Chelsea Gillespie join Chris and Caroline on this week's episode of the Official Scottish Rugby Podcast. Hollie talks about her recent appointment to referee world champions South Africa this summer, when they take on Portugal in a summer Test. It is another major milestone in Davidson’s career which saw…

1
90: Rachel Parris, LIVE! Ken Barlow and Deirdre Rasheed 1:00:55

3M ago1:00:55

1:00:55

To mark the end of this epic season of The Way They Were, Grainne and Chantal once again took to the stage to entertain the masses and bring a long lost love story back to life, helping them with this task is comedian and all round good egg, Rachel Paris! But 'who is the couple that will see out the current series?' I hear you all scream... perhaps…

1
The Corrymeela Podcast, Season 3, Episode 5. Dr. Yousif M. Qasmiyeh 52:19

4M ago52:19

52:19

Yousif M. Qasmiyeh is a poet and scholar whose work has appeared in publications including Modern Poetry in Translation, Critical Quarterly, Cambridge Literary Review, New England Review, and Poetry London. His collection Writing the Camp (Broken Sleep Books, 2021), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and was shortlisted for the 2022 Royal Soc…

1
Men’s Premiership Final + Season Review 42:16

3M ago42:16

42:16

Chris Paterson, Dale Clancy & Calum Johnston review the 2024 Men's Premiership and National Leagues as the end of season approaches. They also preview this Saturday's Men's Premiership Final between Hawick and Currie Chieftains and Calum speaks to Shawn Muir from Hawick and Jamie Forbes from Currie ahead of the big game at Mansfield Park.…

1
Choices We Made: Family Secrets or Big Reveal? (with Kerry Washington) 44:58

4M ago44:58

44:58

When actor Kerry Washington’s parents told her a massive family secret five years ago, it shook her entire world. And despite being an extremely private person, Kerry decided to reveal this shocking information in her memoir, “Thicker Than Water.” In one of our favorite episodes from the vault, Sam and Kerry discuss how learning this truth helped K…

1
ManagerMirror S6E6: Leader with a Cause with Janssen Lemley 37:03

4M ago37:03

37:03

Boy Scouts of America Director of Development Janssen Lemley joins me sharing tough lessons he’s learned making staff decisions, and he walks us through how he prepares his employees to be brand ambassadors at any time.By Brad Bilen

1
Choices We Made: Express Your Grief or Keep It In? (with Rob Delaney) 54:19

4M ago54:19

54:19

When actor Rob Delaney’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Henry died, Rob decided to share his family’s experience with Henry’s illness and death with the world. What emerged was the deeply personal memoir, “A Heart That Works.” In this best-of episode from 2023, Sam asks Rob about how his approach to his career shifted after Henry passed away, a seemin…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Rachel Townsend Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide