Shagged. Married. Annoyed
Couples’ podcasts are very much not for everybody. If they lean a little too far one way, they’re overbearing and smug; too far in the other direction and they become unbearably tense psychodramas. The safest place for you to start is probably Shagged. Married. Annoyed, hosted by married comedians Chris and Rosie Ramsey. A weekly unstructured chat, Shagged. Married. Annoyed is relentlessly lighthearted and unchallenging – and as such, actually very pleasant to listen to. One potential criticism is that the Ramseys do sound like they’re aggressively trying to turn their marriage into a brand. So if that’s not your sort of thing, stop reading now.
Forced Proximity
A favourite podcast subgenre, arguably invented by Scott Aukerman and Harris Wittels’s Analyze Phish, is one host trying to convince another host that something is good. In Forced Proximity, Megan Montgomery attempts to make her sport-loving husband Johnathon Olavarria see the worth in romance novels. What’s amazing about this podcast is that she very quickly succeeds. As such, most episodes consist of two people united in their love for a type of literature that is perennially written off as trashy. It’s a genuinely uplifting listen.
Firecrotch & Normcore
Succession might be between series at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back and explore one of its best offshoots. In Firecrotch & Normcore, married couple DJ Geoff Lloyd and comedian Sara Barron trawl through every episode of Succession’s third series, analysing and bickering about the themes and characters. Better still, they regularly draft in guests to add a third wheel to the dynamic. Nish Kumar, David Baddiel and Lorraine Kelly have all appeared. Trust me when I say that you haven’t lived until you’ve heard Lorraine Kelly call Connor Roy a “noodle”.
The Accidental Swingers
Myrina and Tristan are a married couple who went on a night out with their friends, realised that their friends were swingers, and as a result ended up falling into a determinedly non-traditional lifestyle. The episodes roughly progress in chronological order, as the couple first become swingers and then start exploring other, more delicate, avenues. They are always open about the pitfalls and boundaries necessary to lead a non-monogamous lifestyle, but seem completely happy with all their choices. If you wanted to use The Accidental Swingers as an instruction guide to swinging, it would probably work well. On the other hand, it’s absolutely perfect for casual rubberneckers.
ONE Extraordinary Marriage
Then there are the podcasts hosted by couples that are actually about being a couple. Of these, ONE Extraordinary Marriage is perhaps the most noteworthy. Hosted by Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo, who were apparently on the brink of divorce until the husband turned things around with something called a 60-day sex challenge, the podcast dips into all the problems that usually throw marriages into trouble – lack of intimacy, lack of communication, lack of respect – and attempts to course-correct its listeners back to happiness. Consider it free couples’ counselling.
