The UK podcast map shows where the biggest fans are – how does your region rank?

SCOTLAND is the UK’s politics podcast capital – while the south-east of England loves listening to comedy shows, research has found.

A survey of 2,000 adults has uncovered the nation’s most popular podcasts, genres and listening habits in the UK.

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Comedy (30 percent), entertainment (25 percent), sports (23 percent) and true crime (19 percent) were voted the most popular podcast genres overall.

Yorkshire and the Humber is the UK’s most sports-loving region, with 28 per cent of podcast lovers listening to sports-related content.

People living in Northern Ireland are the biggest consumers of real crime, while residents in the South West are most likely to listen to health and fitness programmes.

And it turns out that the Welsh enjoy more personal development podcasts than any other sector in the UK.

The study, commissioned by Vodafone, found that more than three quarters of the country enjoys listening to podcasts about Vodafone phone while they’re on the go.

The second most popular device for listening to podcasts was a tablet, with one in ten people consuming shows this way.

Almost a quarter of all Londoners said they listen to podcasts on their commute, making England’s capital most dependent on audio shows while commuting.

Enjoying a podcast on the go is a popular hobby for many Britons, and in Northern Ireland almost a third of respondents listen to a program while walking their dog.

Max Taylor, consumer director at Vodafone, who commissioned the study, said: “The tremendous growth of podcasts over the past decade has been nothing short of spectacular.

“Part of their appeal is that you can listen to your favorite shows from anywhere and stream them on the go – whether you’re shopping or on the school run.

“Popular streaming services like Spotify have gone from strength to strength during the pandemic and they’re here to stay.”

The survey found that people who live in inner cities are twice as likely to listen to business podcasts as those who live in rural areas.

Almost six in 10 inner-city Brits say they have been inspired to make a change in their life after listening to a podcast.

Some of the biggest lifestyle changes people made after listening to a podcast included eating healthier, exercising more, or learning a new skill.

One in five people living in inner cities said a podcast inspired them to change careers — that number dropped to just 3 percent of those living in rural areas, villages or small towns.

Podcasts are a popular conversation starter across much of the nation, with more than half of respondents admitting they discuss or recommend shows with friends or family.

The Peter Crouch Podcast, Newscast, and Parenting Hell were among the most popular podcasts in the study conducted via OnePoll.

Podcast consumption is also increasing in the UK – a full 42% of respondents said they listen to podcasts more now than they did before the coronavirus pandemic – and just 7% said they listen to less audio broadcasts.

Vodafone’s Max Taylor added: “A lot of us listen to podcasts when we’re on the go.

“Our love of comedy podcasts, as shown in research, proves we are a nation that loves a good laugh.

“With Vodafone’s award-winning network for reliability and our exclusive music partner Spotify, you can rest assured that you can listen to your favorite podcasts anywhere.”

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