Podcast Corner: Four love-related shows for Valentine’s Day
Janessa Brazil's picture is being used in a catfishing con.
Two of our favourite podcast companies, Wondery and Novel, have linked up again for Stolen Hearts. Wondery is responsible for shows like Dr Death and the ongoing Scamfluencers, while Novel was behind one of our favourite series of last year, The Superhero Complex. It’s not the first time they’ve worked together either: There’s Something About Miriam was not quite a show about love - sure it featured a dating show in the mid-noughties, but trans reality TV star Miriam Rivera’s ‘big reveal’ was kept a secret from the laddish contestants; the podcast makes you wonder just how the TV show got the green light and made it to air.
So expectations are high for Stolen Hearts. Set in Wales, it sounds like a romcom: Sergeant Jill Evans has had three engagements, two divorces, and one affair, before she meets wealthy beauty entrepreneur Dean. Some advice gleaned from her previous relationships: Don’t fall for a married man; and having a motorbike doesn’t count as a personality. But just when it looks like all is rosy with Dean, he goes missing on Halloween night. Two compelling episodes of Stolen Hearts are out now and set things up nicely - or you can subscribe to Wondery+ on Apple Podcasts and binge the whole series.
Another year, another juicy catfishing show. Tortoise Media’s Sweet Bobby has long lingered in our recommendations and maybe Love, Janessa will be joining it. From BBC and CBC, this seven-parter sets out to track down Janessa Brazil, the ‘bait’ in this particular scam. Stolen images of an adult entertainment star are being used to con victims out of thousands of dollars, breaking hearts in the process. The show takes us on a cross-continent search for the face of the catfish, the victims, and the conmen. Three episodes have been released to date.
Love Letters (Boston Globe) has been running since 2018, advice columnist Meredith Goldstein exploring themes in love and relationships across each season: How do you meet someone? How do you know it’s true love? How do you get over a breakup? The latest series was about big changes. It’s a heartwarming show that might just have a big effect on you - and your (love) life.
Millennial Love from the UK Independent focuses on everything to do with sexuality, relationships, and identity. There’s more than 70 episodes to dig into, with the most recent fifth season featuring the likes of Irish author Louise O’Neill on redefining boundaries in a post-MeToo world and adult filmmaker Vex Ashley on feminist porn and sex work.
