Top Fall Podcast Picks 2025: True Crime, Aussie Politics & Comedy Fact-Busting
Every season shapes how we listen. In the UK and Ireland, darker evenings and cooler weather make autumn the perfect time to curl up with a gripping story. Across the US, pumpkin-spiced everything signals a shift towards longer nights, while in Australia, the opposite is true: warmer days and lighter evenings create space for podcasts that accompany commutes, workouts, or time outdoors. Wherever you are, the season you’re in changes the way you discover and enjoy audio.
So here we highlight three very different series that showcase how podcasts can cut through a crowded market and spark long-term loyalty, but most importantly hopefully a great listen for you to get in over the coming months. First up is one of the most successful blends of storytelling and style in recent years
Murder, Mystery & Makeup with Bailey Sarian
Audioboom Studios
It almost feels unnecessary to recommend Murder, Mystery & Makeup by Bailey Sarian. This podcast has been wildly popular for years and is hardly a hidden gem. Yet there are times when excellence deserves another spotlight. This is one of those moments.
What keeps drawing me back is not just the brilliance of the listening experience but also its inspiration for creators. The format is deceptively simple: Sarian tells true crime stories while creating make-up looks, weaving crimson lips into blood-soaked tales. The mix is disarming, transforming dark subject matter into something that feels like gossip over a glass of wine. Crucially, her research is empathetic and precise, giving the stories weight and integrity.
Listeners describe her as a “master storyteller,” praising her humour and clarity. Recent discussion on X and Reddit highlights the “powerful” treatment of domestic violence narratives and the “slowly unnerving” pacing that encourages binge listening. A stand-out example is the July 2025 episode, Clara and David Harris, a psychological drama of betrayal and rash decisions. Some critics find her occasional laughter jarring, even disrespectful. Yet this lightness may be the secret to keeping over 180 episodes fresh in a crowded genre.
For content strategists and media leaders, Sarian offers a blueprint for scalability. Her approach creates a natural bridge between visual and audio, feeding TikTok clips, merchandise, and live tours. It is a model of how true crime can evolve beyond traditional formats into a multi-platform experience.
Seasonal context makes this recommendation even more timely. Listeners in the UK and Ireland may be curling up with autumn cocoa. In the US, nights are drawing in as pumpkin season sets the mood. Meanwhile, audiences in Australia are heading into lighter evenings and warmer days, where podcasts often shift into outdoor listening. Wherever you are, Murder, Mystery & Makeup fits the moment: gripping, glamorous, and impossible to ignore.
Political History Of Australia with John Ruddick
ACAST
In a landscape cluttered with echo chambers, John Ruddick’s The Political History of Australia cuts through like a fresh southerly breeze: bold, engaging, and refreshingly grounded. Announced September with a teaser episode the first shows of the series have launched with four instalments. It will follow a weekly rhythm and is expected to reach around one hundred episodes in total. This ambitious chronicle stretches from pre-Captain Cook Indigenous eras through the arrival of the First Fleet, colonial expansion, the forging of federation, and every prime ministerial saga up to the twists of 2024.
The narrative craft is a triumph of vivid, patriotic prose. Ruddick transforms dry timelines into a tapestry of human drama. Convict rebellions pulse with defiance, electoral battles crackle with intrigue, and overlooked gems such as a young Edmund Barton’s cricket exploits bringing him national fame make the past roar to life. It is history as storytelling, rich with sharp insights that reclaim forgotten threads without drifting into polemic. The colonial sprawl from Sydney Cove feels as dynamic as a modern campaign trail.
Ruddick’s delivery seals the experience. Commanding yet approachable, his NSW-inflected timbre carries the weight of conviction while welcoming listeners like old mates sharing a cold one. Each inflection lands with purpose, turning archival facts into anthems of resilience that resonate far beyond the Outback.
The most striking quality is how these tales of ambition, upheaval, and unyielding spirit leap national borders, stirring a sense of “home” in anyone who has wrestled with legacy or liberty. From ancient custodianship to today’s hustings, the podcast demonstrates how timeless stories bind us all.
Credit is due to Ruddick and his team for a stellar debut: polished, professional, and clearly designed for the long haul. This is one to keep on the radar, with plenty more to look forward to in the episodes ahead.
Joe & James Fact Up
Audio Always
Diving into Joe and James Fact Up, the new UK podcast from The Inbetweeners stars Joe Thomas and James Buckley, is like slipping into a well-worn school hoodie: familiar, cheeky and effortlessly fun. Launched on 23 September 2025, with two episodes already available and more on the way, this Audio Always production is a weekly burst of matey chemistry that thrives on the duo’s natural rapport. It is less about slick structure and more about two south England lads riffing with that old school, no filter energy.
The podcast blends random trivia and life chats with the crude, playful humour that made their television days iconic. Buckley’s sharp wit bounces off Thomas’s charm, creating an unpretentious listen that feels like eavesdropping on old friends catching up. The production keeps it raw, with background chuckles from the crew adding to the loose, pub like atmosphere.
On that atmosphere: There is also a clear nod to the classic radio breakfast show “zoo” format, a style that shaped some of commercial radio’s most entertaining breakfast programmes. Whether intentional or instinctive from the brilliant Audio Always production team, it is a smart tactic. By weaving in that ensemble feel and controlled chaos, the podcast stands out from the usual “two celebrity / influencer mates chatting” template and leaves you wanting more like all great radio breakfast shows did.
Fact Up is not trying to reinvent the wheel. Fans of Thomas and Buckley, especially those who loved their Inbetweeners days, will feel instantly at home. Newcomers will find just as much to enjoy, with sharp exchanges and playful unpredictability ensuring this series is far more than nostalgia alone.
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