The Independent is set to debut two new podcasts, Well Enough and Like This, Love This, as the publisher continues to build on the success of its Independent Studio offering, which launched in April 2025, spanning podcasts, newsletters, original video, and more. Independent Studio is where The Independent’s journalism and content comes to life in talent-led media – with podcasts being the perfect platform for truly independent voices to build deep engagement and create cultural capital across in-demand verticals.
The newest podcasts are strategically targeted to topics which matter to The Independent’s audience: lovers of culture who value independent thought and inquiry, with high levels of registered users and repeat visitors. The Independent is also a trusted leader in health and wellness, regularly partnering with brands including Kiehl’s to provide authoritative information in the space, bolstered by proven credentials in consumer advice through trusted platform IndyBest.
These new launches come hot on the heels of the football YouTube channel ACFC, fronted by Adam Clery, which has exploded from zero to 130,000 subscribers in just three months, becoming YouTube’s fastest-growing football channel. This depth of audience engagement opens up new possibilities for high-visibility partnership packages, across multiple touchpoints, which benefit from association with high-value intellectual property.
Like This, Love This
Presented by Lucie McInerney with new episodes dropping weekly from 31 July, Like This, Love This is the weekly podcast for culture obsessives. Fascinating guests drawn from the full spectrum of culture–actors, authors, media and social media personalities, comedians, and more–will bring a book, film, podcast and TV series they can’t stop thinking about to the table with Lucie.
A fanatic for all things cultural, Lucie is a journalist with well over 15 years experience, from stints including Assistant Editor and Commercial Editor at The Independent, and Director of Video and Audio at The Telegraph. Her debut guest will be pop-culture phenomenon and influencer Shabaz Ali, followed by actor Amaka Okafor, comedian Alexandra Haddow, and clothier and businessman Patrick Grant.
Lucie McInerney shares: “I’ve loved stories all my life: be that books, movies, or tales from real people, I’m always hungry for more. In this series, I’ve been lucky enough to interview some fascinating people and to watch, read and listen to some fantastic stories thanks to their recommendations. There’s so much out there now to pick from that getting recommendations is invaluable – so I was very keen to hear what some of Britain’s best talents share with their friends and families and why those stories resonate with them all so much.”
How to listen
Like This, Love This will be available on all major podcast streaming platforms – from Apple and Spotify, to Deezer and Amazon Music.
Well Enough
Video podcast Well Enough will launch in September, hosted by The Independent’s Fitness and Wellbeing Editor, Emilie Lavinia. Well Enough is here to make sense of the wild world of health and wellness, answering the biggest questions and busting myths and misinformation wide open.
As we navigate a crowded field of trends, fads, innovation and disinformation, Emilie and a host of experts have the credentials to tackle the deluge, tackling questions like: How do I know if my gut is healthy? Should I freeze my eggs? What is manifestation? Do I really need therapy? And why is everyone telling me to just be grateful?
Fascinated by the pursuit of wellness, Emilie Lavinia is one of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing journalists. She has tried every trend, treatment and life-altering practice, reported on it and lived to tell the tale. Emilie has reported on health, wellness, sex and technology for more than a decade for the likes of Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, Women’s Health, Grazia, Stylist, Fast Company, Glamour, and VICE.
Guests will include England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson alongside healer and holistic therapist Estelle Bingham. With a roster of celebrity clientele, Estelle is psychic to the stars and chief authority on manifestation, the trend on everyone’s lips and everyone’s TikTok feed. Emilie will speak with Zoe Kalar, Founder and CEO of WeAre8. A serial tech entrepreneur who built the world’s first GenAI media buying engine, Zoe is now on a mission to change social media for the better.
Psychotherapist Ailey Jolie likes ‘holding the messy stuff, the taboo, and honouring the magic within our bones’. Born out of her lived experiences, including as a model and a professional ballerina, Ailey brings the rigorous perspective of a therapist trained in depth psychology, relational somatics, and more. She will come onto the show with prominent mental fitness and visualisation expert Maya Raichoora. She founded Remap, working with top executives, elite athletes, and global corporations to help individuals master their minds, and is Nike’s first mental fitness trainer.
Emilie says: “The Independent launching a podcast like this is hopefully a sign that the age of the wellness grifter is coming to an end. We’ve invited some of the most fascinating names and celebrated experts to bust myths and challenge misinformation and as a news company, we have a responsibility to do that in the right way.
“There aren’t many wellbeing editors in the world – in fact, I’m one of the only people with that job title. The Independent does a phenomenal job of asking important questions and establishing facts and I can’t wait for Well Enough to be a continuation of that work.”
How to listen
Well Enough will be available on all major podcast streaming platforms – from Apple and Spotify, to Deezer and Amazon Music, as well as having a dedicated YouTube channel where the video versions of the podcast will be hosted.
Independent Studio
These latest additions join The Independent’s existing experts in the podcast arena, including travel guru Simon Calder’s Independent Travel Podcast and ‘State of Play’, an upcoming podcast by Miguel Delaney and Adam Clery from Independent Sport. Independent Studio’s creative output and deep audience engagement builds on existing success and broadens possibilities for high-visibility partnership packages on high-value intellectual property.
Travel Smart is a prime example of this, combining video, newsletter and podcast presence for brands. This formula delivers multiple touch points, unlocking the potential for huge engagement, and will be available in a range of key verticals, with entertainment, travel, food and drink, sport, EVs (electric vehicles) and money (from personal finance to careers, SMEs and business news) leading the charge.
Independent Studio builds on The Independent’s legacy of creating engaging video projects with wide-reaching audiences. Previously the team has created three critically acclaimed documentaries: Bel Trew’s moving films Body In The Woods and The A-Word, as well as the powerful Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, with more projects in this space to come later in 2025
Christian Broughton, The Independent’s CEO, remarks: “The Independent exists to be a platform for trusted independent voices, individuals who don’t subscribe to the dogmas you see with most news brands. That’s what makes it the perfect title to combine trust and independence with talent-led media – and that’s the ethos behind Independent Studio. We’re here to provide content that audiences love, creating deep engagement across video, podcasts and newsletters, building personal connections between audiences and talent. Our initial results speak for themselves.”
Olivia Foster, Executive Producer, Independent Studio, adds: “We’re proud to unveil Like This, Love This and Well Enough, two standout additions to Independent Studio’s growing line-up of original podcasts. At Independent Studio, our mission is to bring The Independent’s creativity, curiosity and journalistic integrity to life in fresh and innovative formats – and these shows do just that.”
“Expanding The Independent across new channels will deepen our ability to engage with our audiences, providing more routes for brands to reach consumers through a trusted partner. These shows, fronted by outstanding journalists, showcase Independent Studio’s commitment to delivering content that not only entertains but also sparks meaningful conversations, and we couldn’t be more excited for audiences to discover them.”
