Best Scottish Scared Podcasts (2025)

1
Cursed Objects: The Black Aggie 12:17

1M ago12:17

12:17

Graveyards and cemeteries are eerie places for obvious reasons, but Druid Ridge Cemetery, Maryland was once home to a cursed sculpture named The Black Aggie. She once sparked fear in the hearts of the locals with tales of curses and death, but maybe it's her dark history that makes her such a tragic figure. Contact Us: Website: www.scottishandscare…

1
Scotland v Wales - The tightest rivalry in the women's game 36:55

2h ago36:55

36:55

Chris Paterson joins Tom and Andy for a lookback on the Scots' performances on the recent Lions tour and a look forward to Scotland v Wales in the Women's Rugby World Cup plus we hear from Scotland Women's flanker Alex Stewart ahead of her first World CupBy BBC Radio Scotland

1
Failure Throwback: Glennon Doyle 1:07:01

1h ago1:07:01

1:07:01

Author of Untamed and fierce truth-teller Glennon Doyle joins me for a raw and revelatory episode, first recorded in July 2020. We dive into: Why we chase approval instead of trusting our inner voice Her struggles with body image, love, and emotional resilience The failures that shaped her—from family breakdowns to learning self-protection Every mo…

1
Failure Throwback: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 1:08:02

6d ago1:08:02

1:08:02

This week we revisit one of my all-time favourite guests: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, recorded in July 2021. Best known for Americanah and her globally resonant TED Talks, Chimamanda opens up about the profound grief of losing both her parents within a year—and the raw journey of coping in its aftermath. We talk candidly about: Her essay Notes on Gri…

1
Special episode: Women's World Cup squad announcement 40:09

13d ago40:09

40:09

Andy Burke catches up with some of the stars as Scotland head coach Bryan Easson names his squad for the upcoming Women's World Cup in England.By BBC Radio Scotland

1
Sir Tony Robinson - ‘I learned comedy as a defence mechanism’ 49:45

14d ago49:45

49:45

Recorded with a live audience in Cambridge, this captivating conversation delves deep into the life and career of a cultural force of the last half-century. Known of course for his iconic role as Baldrick in Blackadder, Sir Tony's sharp intelligence and dry humour have had a formative influence on generations. In this candid discussion, he opens up…

1
Fern Brady - ‘I make more money in comedy than I ever did from stripping‘ 44:23

21d ago44:23

44:23

In this searingly funny and deeply affecting live conversation, Elizabeth speaks to stand-up comedian, author and Taskmaster favourite Fern Brady about her autism diagnosis, her working-class roots, and the failures that shaped her award-winning memoir Strong Female Character. Fern opens up about late diagnosis, social masking, and stripping to fun…

1
The Murder of Scott Johnston 1:27:47

28d ago1:27:47

1:27:47

Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk a lot about suicide. Please skip this episode if you're not in the right place to listen. Discussions of homophobia in Australia in the 80s is also heavily featured, so please take note. We are covering the murder of Scott Johnston - Born in California on the 27th of November 1961 - he had such a promising …

1
Dorinda Medley on Grief, Identity and The Real Housewives: ‘I was angry. I was lost. I felt like I got cheated.’ 43:33

28d ago43:33

43:33

What happens when the life you thought you’d built - the one with love, money, recognition - seems to slip away? This week, Elizabeth speaks to Dorinda Medley, author, TV personality and iconic former Real Housewife of New York, about reinvention, resilience and learning to be okay with not being liked by everyone. Dorinda opens up about the loss o…

1
Vanessa Williams - ‘It would be hard to be married to me!’ 50:33

1M ago50:33

50:33

As a recording artist, Vanessa Williams has earned 13 Grammy nominations and racked up over 212 million digital streams over the course of her eight albums. Her most popular hit, Save The Best For Last, was Number 1 for five weeks in 1992. She is also a highly successful stage and screen actor, appearing in Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. She …

1
Episode 55: Allanbank House 19:00

1M ago19:00

19:00

Although no longer standing Allanbank House at the Scottish borders, was the home to an elegant young ghoul known as Pearlin Jeanne. Falling head over heels in love for it's occupant Sir Stuart, who left her to die in the streets of Paris. With her last breath she swore to make his life a living misery if he ever took the hand of another and she di…

1
Suzi Ruffell - ‘I didn’t know I was gay until I saw Titanic’ 47:35

1M ago47:35

47:35

In this special live edition of How to Fail, Elizabeth is joined by comedian Suzi Ruffell. Suzi has performed five sellout runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as appearing on live at the Apollo and filming an Amazon special of her show ‘Dance Like Everyone Is Watching’. She was nominated for Best standup show in the National Comedy Awards and has…

1
Pamela Anderson - ‘It wasn’t about being pretty, it was about being brave’ 52:42

1M ago52:42

52:42

I can’t believe I get to say this but…PAMELA ANDERSON! ON HOW TO FAIL! The one and only! A woman I grew up watching on TV, Pamela was an icon of a generation…But the second act of her career has been the most powerful and Anderson joins me for a vulnerable chat about her long journey of embracing beauty on her own terms, understand her self-worth, …

1
Melinda French Gates - ‘Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re wise’ 50:25

2M ago50:25

50:25

Melinda French Gates studied computer science and economics and completed an MBA before joining a tech start-up called Microsoft, in 1987. She rose through the ranks to become Manager of Information Products and married the boss in 1994. His name was Bill Gates. Together, the couple founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, where, for more than …

1
Monica Lewinsky - ‘I would have liked a more normal life’ 47:50

2M ago47:50

47:50

Monica Lewinsky is an activist, podcaster and producer. At the age of 24, Lewinsky, a White House intern, found herself in the eye of a global scandal. She was subjected to a mass public shaming - losing her livelihood, her anonymity and the future she had once imagined for herself. Now, 51 Lewinsky has garnered a new generation of admirers, who wi…

1
The Unusual Experiences of Sir Robert Victor Goddard 55:31

2M ago55:31

55:31

This month, Effie tells the story of British Military Hero Sir Robert Victor Goddard and the unusual events that plagued his very dramatic life. Sources for this episode are: the book Flight Towards Reality by Sir Robert Goddard. We also talk time slips, Daniel Radcliffe's time travelling, the unbelievable responsibility of teenage boys in wartime,…

1
AJ Tracey - ‘Buying my mum a house will always be my proudest achievement’ 50:48

2M ago50:48

50:48

Rapping phenomenon and Tottenham Hotspur superfan AJ Tracey joins us this week to talk about supporting his mum through her cancer journey, the pressures of staying an independent artist and what football has taught him about failure. AJ Tracey has been rapping since the age of four. He dropped out of his Criminology degree at London Metropolitan U…

1
How To Cope With A Friendship Break-Up - with Cynthia Nixon - Special Release 27:28

2M ago27:28

27:28

Cynthia Nixon joins Elizabeth to answer YOUR questions and failures including: whose failures would you most like to hear (dead or alive) how to cope with a friendship break up and how to know when to have kids. Elizabeth then takes a moment to reflect on meeting Cynthia, and everything they covered. To hear Cynthia tackling your failures join our …

1
Cynthia Nixon - ‘Being brave is feeling scared and doing it anyway’ 51:44

2M ago51:44

51:44

Whilst Cynthia Nixon’s versatility is beyond question, it's fair to say that she has become permanently associated with one character, Miranda Hobbs, in Sex and the City and its companion piece, And Just Like That. She won an Emmy for her performance and a generation of fans who identified with the ambitious type-A lawyer whose cynicism disguised a…

1
Christine McGuinness - ‘I don’t want to hold back anymore - I date women! So what?’ 50:31

3M ago50:31

50:31

TW: discussions around anorexia and sexual abuse. In an incredibly powerful episode (and a How To Fail first), Christine McGuinness speaks publicly about her sexuality for the first time. She reveals she had a long-term relationship with a woman before her marriage to comedian Paddy McGuinness and that she’s now dating women again. She refuses to l…

1
Vicky Pattison - ‘You don't become old and wise if you haven't been young and daft’ 55:32

3M ago55:32

55:32

Vicky Pattison was 22 when her life changed and she was cast in reality TV show Geordie Shore. She was on the show for nine seasons between 2011 and 2014, during which time the cameras followed her falling in love, becoming engaged, then breaking up. Now 37, Pattison has rarely been off our screens - whether it’s as a finalist on Celebrity Masterch…

1
Dannii Minogue - ‘I hit low points where I thought: “I just can’t take this any more.” 56:33

3M ago56:33

56:33

In her most revealing interview to date, Dannii Minogue talks openly about the pressures of fame, the relentless comparisons with her sister, Kylie, and navigating a divorce that left her broke. It’s an extraordinary conversation with a woman who found fame as a 10-year-old in her native Australia. As a teenager Dannii, signed a record deal and act…

1
The Legend of Fishers Ghost 48:17

3M ago48:17

48:17

This month Marti is covering a request from our good friend Wayne over at Eerie Edinburgh whose advert you will have heard at the top of the episode. It's a slightly different one for Marti, its a very vintage story based in 1826, in Campbelltown, a small city located on the outskirts of Sydney where a young man sees a ghost, but the ghost isn't ju…

1
Julia Stiles - ‘I ran in the other direction from fame’ 53:26

3M ago53:26

53:26

For many of us who grew up in the the 90s, Julia Stiles was an integral part of our coming of age. Her portrayal of the clever, acerbic Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You was a radical reinvention of the blonde teenage female rom-com lead. Her roles in Save The Last Dance and Mona Lisa Smile spoke to our adolescent feminist awakenings and catapulted…

1
John Bishop - ‘I’ve always wanted someone to say: you’re good enough’ 54:44

3M ago54:44

54:44

John Bishop has been a hugely successful stand-up comedian for 25 years. Yet that wasn’t his first dream, which was to play football. We discuss his failure to do so professionally, his challenges at school, the working-class upbringing that shaped him and how comedy saved his marriage when he and his wife were at the ‘decree nisi stage’ of divorce…

1
Simon Cowell - ‘I often think: what gives me the right to judge people?’ 59:58

4M ago59:58

59:58

Simon Cowell has built an entertainment empire on his ability to say exactly what he thinks and an uncanny ability to judge the public mood. From launching Pop Idol in 2001, The X Factor in 2004 and the cultural behemoth Britain’s Got Talent in 2007, he has been at the helm of primetime around the world for over a quarter of a century. His TV shows…

1
Celeste Barber: the FUNNIEST woman on the internet 51:37

4M ago51:37

51:37

My guest today has been an integral part of my feminist awakening. Celeste Barber’s instagram posts - which parody the unattainable standards of the fashion and beauty industry - are both hilarious and revolutionary. Her work has helped a generation of women to feel better about their bodies - and made her a star in the process. (Plus she’s been bl…

1
The Life & Almost Death of Maggie Dickson 1:00:38

4M ago1:00:38

1:00:38

In this month's episode, Effie takes us through the extraordinary life and almost death of Maggie Dickson born in 1702, a fishhawker living in Musselburgh, abandoned by her husband Maggie had a difficult life, but that's nothing compared to her ( almost death.) Sources for this episode are: Edinburgh Reporter Beheaded podcast The Hanging of Maggie …

1
Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’ 43:00

4M ago43:00

43:00

This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Emma Dabiri is a broadcaster, historian, and bestselling author whose work delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and race through art history and current affairs. She's now written a number of books - culture shifting works which …

1
Sally Phillips - ‘I saw Colin Firth and thought - he’s mine!’ 50:20

4M ago50:20

50:20

This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at London’s Barbican Theatre. Sally Phillips has appeared in a string of the most influential and hilarious comedy series of all time - from Smack The Pony, Miranda, The Thick of It and Veep. Not forgetting, of course, her star turn as Bridget Jones’s best friend, Shazza, in the h…

1
Mae Martin - 'Everything I do is about proving those high school bullies wrong.' 51:01

4M ago51:01

51:01

Over on Failing with Friends this week, Mae Martin talks about self-care, how to stop pushing people away and we tackle a listener’s failure to be messy in their twenties. To hear Mae Martin's brilliant advice, join our community of subscribers: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Canadian comedian, writer, producer and singer/songwriter M…

1
Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything' 48:13

5M ago48:13

48:13

Over on Failing with Friends this week, JVN and I get into relationship therapy and the perfect length of shorts on a man. To hear JVN tackling your failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Jonathan Van Ness, one fifth of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, three-times New York Times bestseller, podca…

1
How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered… 39:49

5M ago39:49

39:49

For this bonus episode, Elizabeth and Mel open up the post bag to answer the burning questions YOU have when it comes to dating… And, let’s just say, we cover A LOT of ground. After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating…

1
Sam Ryder - ‘Fame is like giving a dog a treat every single day. You get used to it.’ 53:13

5M ago53:13

53:13

Over on Failing with Friends - Sam Ryder talks about panic attacks, how to forgive, and (in a How To Fail first) why he likes to cut his toenails outdoors. To hear Sam tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Sam Ryder is a British singer-songwriter who started posting covers on Tik…

1
How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have 57:48

5M ago57:48

57:48

For the final episode of How To Date (sob!) Mel and Elizabeth look at the most important relationships any of us can have in our lives: the one with ourselves. We unpack what this means in practical terms. How do we nurture a healthy sense of self-respect - and why can this sometimes feel so challenging? How can we ensure interdependence rather tha…

1
The Wanda Beach Murders 1:23:00

5M ago1:23:00

1:23:00

Trigger warning This episode contains themes of sexual abuse, child murder & suicide. This month Marti covers the Wanda Beach murders which happened in 1965 in Cronulla Sydney, when two young teenage girls caught the train to the beach with their siblings and never came home. The murders of Christine Sharrock & Marianne Schmidt. We also talk about …

1
Olivia Attwood - ‘It’s either vodka and a gay club until 5am, or hyperbaric oxygen’ 48:48

5M ago48:48

48:48

Olivia Attwood first appeared on our TV screens in 2017 as a contestant in the third series of Love Island, and instantly became a star due to her dry humour and gobby relatability. You might also know her as a regular panellist on Loose Women or from her hit documentaries for ITV. Last year, she launched her podcast, Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s…

1
How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection 44:43

5M ago44:43

44:43

Elizabeth and Mel face one of the most challenging parts of dating: heartbreak and rejection. We are joined by life coach and author Michelle Elman who went through a devastating, public break-up after being notified via an Instagram DM that her fiance of 24-hours had been cheating on her. Michelle, Mel and Elizabeth explore the impact an experienc…

1
Cursed Objects: Little Mannie 12:51

5M ago12:51

12:51

Discovered in a dirt basement in England this cute little figure was said to have been of Celtic origin. That was until he was put on display and identified by a visitor as a nomoli stone figure, originating from Sierra Leone, West Africa. How this 16th Century little man made his way across the world still remains a mystery, but one thing's for su…

1
Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’ 45:41

5M ago45:41

45:41

To hear more of Erin offering advice on listener failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Erin Doherty’s big break came playing Princess Anne in The Crown. She’s now back on our screens as Mary Carr, the leader of a real-life Victorian female crime gang, in A Thousand Blows (written by Peaky Bli…

1
Episode 54: Gight Castle 12:29

5M ago12:29

12:29

Hiding under a blanket of shrubs and vines are the ruins of Gight Castle. A 16th Century stronghold with a bloody and troubled past. With it's scenic and peaceful surroundings you would never know that the devil was below your feet. Contact Us: www.scottishandscared.comInstagram: @scottishandscared.comEmail: [email protected]…

1
How To Date: Taking it to the next level 49:15

5M ago49:15

49:15

Things are going well… So Elizabeth and Mel are taking it to the next level where they are getting just that little bit more serious. In this episode, Mel and Elizabeth look at exclusivity and commitment and what it takes to build a strong foundation for a lasting relationship. Plus: how a partner’s past plays into your future together. After you’v…

1
Gugu Mbatha-Raw - ‘Have I ever worked with an awful co-star? Maybe one or two’ 46:02

6M ago46:02

46:02

Friendship advice: ‘Are you a radiator or a drain?’ To hear more from Gugu tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an actor who firmly resists typecasting: her West End debut was as Ophelia in Hamlet; while on-screen she has tackled everything from Belle, to a vi…

1
How To Date: Red and Green Flags 57:04

6M ago57:04

57:04

Mel and Elizabeth look at the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that can help us understand whether a potential partner is right for us. That’s right, we’re exploring the red flags that should have us running for the hills, the green flags that signpost a healthy relationship and the amber or pink ones that lie somewhere in-between. We are joined by…

1
Kate Hudson - ‘Fame is a tumultuous machine’ 59:10

6M ago59:10

59:10

Kate Hudson’s comedic turn in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days made that movie one of the greatest romantic comedies of the noughties, and her performances in everything from Bride Wars to Glass Onion have each been totally scene-stealing. This month, she stars in Running Point, a new Netflix comedy from Mindy Kaling, and she has just released her firs…

1
How To Date: Communication - dating dos and don’ts 53:25

6M ago53:25

53:25

The first date has gone well for Elizabeth and Mel (the chemistry was sizzling, quite frankly) so now we turn our attention to the murky waters of early-stage communication in dating. Psychotherapist, author and podcaster Emma Reed-Turrell joins Elizabeth and Mel this week to break down how to communicate with clarity and kindness, without ever los…

1
Simon Callow: ‘Scottish reeling almost killed me.’ 41:12

6M ago41:12

41:12

Simon Callow is a critically acclaimed actor, director, author and star of classic movies such as Room with a View, Shakespeare in Love and Howards End. However, it’s his part as Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral that many took to their hearts. Callow’s failures include a childhood rejection that still haunts him, a play he directed which was s…

1
How To Date: The first date 52:22

6M ago52:22

52:22

Mel and Elizabeth continue their dating journey and today, we’ve reached one of the most nerve-wracking, yet potentially thrilling, milestones: the first date. Our guest is the fabulous Ryan Lanji, cultural producer, winner of Netflix’s Big Flower Fight and all-round icon. Ryan joins us to break down everything from the lead-up to the date, how to …

1
The Murder of Elaine Doyle 54:50

6M ago54:50

54:50

We're back for 2025!!!! Did you miss us? We're kicking off the year with the devastating murder of 16-year-old Elaine Doyle who lived with her Mum, Dad and brother - a very normal Scottish family, living in Greenock on the west coast of Scotland. Until, in 1986 when their lives were turned upside down when Elaine was brutally murdered. Sources for …

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