Best Jeremy Tompkins Podcasts (2025)

1
Stuart Laws: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner 1:22:15

10h ago1:22:15

1:22:15

It’s the season finale, and it’s time for Bennifer! No, not that Bennifer. We’re talking about the sequel duo: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner — and things are getting messy. Gráinne and Chantal have called in Alias superfan and casual observer of all things Affleck, Stuart Laws, to help make sense of this rebound for the ages. From Daredevil to th…

1
312 - Chaos and Complexity - Neil Theise (rebroadcast) 59:34

4d ago59:34

59:34

Professor Neil Theise, the author of Notes on Complexity, provides an introduction to the science of how complex systems behave – from cells to human beings, to ecosystems, the known universe, and beyond – and we explore if Ian Malcolm was right when he told us in Jurassic Park that "Life, um, finds a way." Previous Episodes Neil Theise's Website N…

1
Emergency Episode! Jojo Siwa, Kath Ebbs & Chris Hughes 52:40

5d ago52:40

52:40

STOP THE PRESS! Another celebrity breakup has rocked our world, so Gráinne and Chantal dropped everything to bring you this emergency episode on a Sunday morning. Karmas a bitch, and she's with us right now as we dive into the end of the relationship between 'gay pop princess' Jojo Siwa and influencer Kath Ebbs. We cover all the ins and outs that l…

1
Nikki Druce: George IV and Caroline of Brunswick 1:23:08

7d ago1:23:08

1:23:08

Put on your best powdered wig, pour a generous brandy, and brace yourself for scandal as we revisit one of history's messiest royal romances: the unholy matrimony of King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick. It’s a love story makes Charles and Diana look dull. Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate welcome special guest Nikki Druce, the undisput…

1
Alice Hopkins: Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin 1:12:57

14d ago1:12:57

1:12:57

Light a pungent candle, get yourself comfortable perched on a jade egg, and prepare to consciously uncouple as The Way They Were dives into the iconic noughties love story of Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin. Just remember, nobody said it was easy... Hosts Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate welcome BBC Radio 1’s early-morning queen Alice Hopki…

1
311 - Cascades of Change - Greg Satell (rebroadcast) 1:06:52

18d ago1:06:52

1:06:52

In this episode we sit down with Greg Satell, a communication expert whose book, Cascades, details how rapid, widespread change can sweep across groups of people big and small, and how understanding the psychological mechanisms at play in such moments can help anyone looking to create change in a family, institution, or even nation, prepare for the…

1
Paul F. Tompkins and Janie Haddad Tompkins: Captain & Tennille 1:17:07

22d ago1:17:07

1:17:07

They thought that love could keep them together, but not even a Captain could weather this romantic storm. So pour yourself a piña colada, weigh anchor, and yacht rock into the night for the spectacular 100th episode of The Way They Were! Our very own centurions, Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate, are joined by comedy power couple Paul F. T…

1
Eleanor Morton: Princess Margaret & Lord Snowdon 1:11:12

29d ago1:11:12

1:11:12

Pour yourself a gin, pop on your pearls, and dust off your stiff upper lip as hosts Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate peer behind the velvet curtains of royal heartbreak in this special episode of The Way They Were. Joining them for a jolly good gossip is comedian, author, and undisputed queen of feminist history books, Eleanor Morton. Toge…

1
310 - Align Your Mind - Britt Frank 1:12:55

1M ago1:12:55

1:12:55

Therapist, teacher, speaker, and trauma specialist Britt Frank tells us all about her new book, Align Your Mind, an all-access pass to understanding, befriending, and leading the multiple voices within yourself. Grounded in the latest research on Parts Work and Internal Family Systems, and offering proven techniques from Frank’s clinical practice a…

1
Jonn Elledge: Jeremy Corbyn & Diane Abbott 1:04:41

1M ago1:04:41

1:04:41

Crack open a tin of M&S cocktails and hop aboard the love train, because this week we’re diving into a political pairing that’s had more ups and downs than the Spring statement. Yes, it’s the low-key, long-rumoured, and quietly history-making relationship between Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott. Joining Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate to u…

1
Michelle Shaughnessy: Sylvester Stallone & Brigitte Nielson 1:06:54

1M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

This week, we're getting into a real Rocky romance—the kind with muscles, shoulder pads, and more drama than the entire Rambo franchise. Yes, it’s the short, wild, and gloriously roided-up love affair between Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen. Helping Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate make sense of it all is the effortlessly glamorous…

1
309 - They Thought We Were Ridiculous - Andy Luttrell (rebroadcast) 1:12:38

2M ago1:12:38

1:12:38

In 1974, two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, as the New Yorker once put it, "changed the way we think about the way we think." The prevailing wisdom, before their landmark research went viral (in the way things went viral in the 1970s), was that human beings were, for the most part, rational optimizers always making the kinds of ju…

1
Glenn Moore & Katie Storey: Frasier and Lilith 1:04:36

2M ago1:04:36

1:04:36

Hey baby, can you hear the blues a-callin’? It’s time to toss some salad and scramble some eggs. And this week, we’re serving up a full plate. This week, British comedy power couple Glenn Moore and Katie Storie join Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate to psychoanalyse one of TV’s most cerebral couples: Lilith Sternin & Frasier Crane. Their ro…

1
Milo Edwards: Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg 1:07:16

2M ago1:07:16

1:07:16

Love is in the air—or should we say Je t’aime… moi non plus? Comedian Milo Edwards joins Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate for a deep dive into France’s most effortlessly cool couple: Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. A whirlwind romance of cigarette smoke, black paint, and an unfortunate incident with a ruler, their love defined an era—tho…

1
308 - Magical Thinking - Matt Tompkins 1:19:14

2M ago1:19:14

1:19:14

In this episode, the story of Clever Hans, the horse who changed psychology for the better. We also sit down with psychologist and magician Matt Tompkins. Matt is the author of The Spectacle of Illusion, a book about the long history of the manipulation of our own magical thinking and how studying deception can help us better understand perception,…

1
Liz Gutterbock: Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky 1:06:01

2M ago1:06:01

1:06:01

We're so back, baby! Comedian Liz Guterbock needs to talk to somebody about the breakup of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills royalty Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky. Luckily, Gráinne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate had microphones set up and ready for the occasion. Theirs was a love story straight out of reality TV legend, but as we know on thi…

1
Breakie Awards 2025, Oscars preview and Paper Cuts crossover! 42:13

2M ago42:13

42:13

Bonus episode! To get you excited for the new season of The Way They Were, Gráinne and Chantal have teamed up with journalist Miranda Sawyer to delve into the dazzling world of award shows in a very special crossover with Paper Cuts. Chantal shares her red carpet dos and don'ts while Gráinne discusses her mission to watch every Oscar-nominated film…

1
307 - Concordance Over Truth Bias 1:09:09

2M ago1:09:09

1:09:09

In this episode, we sit down with three disinformation researchers whose new paper found something surprising about both our resistance and our susceptibility to both true news we wish was fake and fake news we wish was true. Our guests are three of the scientists exploring a newly named cognitive distortion, one that every human being is prone to …

1
306 - I Never Thought of it That Way - Mónica Guzmán (rebroadcast) 52:11

3M ago52:11

52:11

This episode’s guest is Mónica Guzmán, the author of I Never Thought of It That Way – a book with very practical advice on how to have productive conversations in a polarized political environment via authentic curiosity about where people’s beliefs, opinions, attitudes, and values come from. It's also about how to learn from those with whom we dis…

1
305 - Supercommunicators - Charles Duhigg (rebroadcast) 1:16:54

3M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

Our guest in this episode is Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and writer for the New Yorker Magazine who is also the New York Times Bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. His new book is Supercommunicators, a practical and approachable guide to what makes great conversations work. In the episode we di…

1
304 - Nobody's Fool - Dan Simons and Christopher Chabris (rebroadcast) 51:01

4M ago51:01

51:01

In an era in which we have more information available to us than ever before, when claims of “fake news” might themselves be, in fact, fake news, Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris, authors of The Invisible Gorilla, are back to offer us a vital tool to not only inoculate ourselves against getting infected by misinformation but prevent us from sp…

1
303 - The Dress - Decoder Ring 43:38

4M ago43:38

43:38

In this episode we return to The Dress and the psychological lessons offered by one of the most viral moments in the history of the internet via an episode of Decoder Ring in which David McRaney shares some insights from his book, How Minds Change, with Willa Paskin, the host of Decoder Ring. Decoder Ring Decoder Ring's The Dress Page Willa Paskin'…

1
I'm Dreaming of The Way They Were at Christmas! 47:34

5M ago47:34

47:34

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy W!ZARD Studios

1
302 - A More Beautiful Question - Warren Berger 1:02:00

5M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

In this episode we sit down with Warren Berger, the author of A More Beautiful Question – and a man who has made a career out of classifying, categorizing, and making sense of all the many varieties of questions we ask, when we are likely to ask them, and how that can lead to all manner of outcomes, some positive, some negative. Warren Berger's Web…

1
6: The Way They ARE: Bill and Hillary Clinton 23:39

5M ago23:39

23:39

In the final instalment (for now) of this off shoot series of the main show, Grainne and Chantal get to the heart of why love and politics DO mix... at least in the case of Bill and Hilary Clinton, a power couple in just about every sense of the word, despite a few ummmm challenges that is. See you next week for The Way They Were Christmas special,…

1
5: The Way They ARE: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 27:31

5M ago27:31

27:31

In today's instalment of The Way They ARE, we are ALL amused at the right royal romance that was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as it's often held aloft as the quintessential fairy tale love story.. but perhaps other motives were at work behind the scenes, and that one of the party weren't quite as on board with it as legend suggests? This ep is…

1
301 - Cognitive Dissonance - Part Two 57:59

5M ago57:59

57:59

In this episode we welcome Dr. Sarah Stein Lubrano, a political scientist who studies how cognitive dissonance affects all sorts of political behavior. She’s also the co-host of a podcast about activism called "What Do We Want?" and she wrote a book that’s coming out in May of 2025 titled don’t talk about politics which is about how to discuss poli…

1
4: The Way They ARE: JFK Jnr & Carolyn Bessette 23:25

5M ago23:25

23:25

In our next instalment of our mini-series, The Way They Are, Chantal and Grainne explore the tempestuous - and ultimately tragic - love story of JFK Junior and Carolyn Bessette, which was as overtly passionate, as it was stylish. As we know the lives of this beautiful young couple were cut way too short, so our hosts imagine what this romance could…

1
3: The Way They ARE: Meryl Streep & Martin Short 21:58

6M ago21:58

21:58

Chantal is back in the chair for this episode of The Way They ARE - and what JOY she is spreading, as she presents to us the elusive, but very much celebrated and newish love that appears to have formed between two of showbiz's most loved stars ... Meryl Streep and Martin Short! Grainne nearly jumped out of her seat when the realisation hit that we…

1
300 - Cognitive Dissonance - Part One 56:51

6M ago56:51

56:51

In this episode, the story of a doomsday cult that predicted the exact date and circumstances of the end of the world, and what happened when that date passed and the world did not end. Also, we explore our drive to remain consistent via our desire to reduce cognitive dissonance. When you notice you’ve done something you believe is wrong, then you …

1
2: The Way They ARE: Abraham & Mary Todd Lincoln 21:56

6M ago21:56

21:56

In the second outing of the little cousin of The Way They Were - aka, The Way They ARE - it's Grainne's turn to present us with a couple, who despite all odds, managed to keep their wedding vows. And in this case 'till death do us part' was probably the promise that saved them from the scandal of the divorce courts. And in Abraham Lincoln and Mary …

1
1: The Way They ARE: Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly 21:41

6M ago21:41

21:41

While Grainne and Chantal prepare another glittering series of The Way They Were, they have decided to keep the wolf from the door and bring us a mini series of episodes they've been dying to make... welcome to The Way They ARE! Over the next few weeks we'll be dipping into the romantic lives of couples who are achieving what most showbiz bods can …

1
299 - Debunkbot 1:09:17

6M ago1:09:17

1:09:17

Our guests in this episode are Thomas H. Costello at American University, Gordon Pennycook at Cornell University, and David G. Rand at MIT who created Debunkbot, a GPT-powered, large language model, conspiracy-theory-debunking AI that is highly effective at reducing conspiratorial beliefs. In the show you’ll hear all about what happened when they p…

1
Live with Chesney Hawkes: Sam & Diane 1:05:13

6M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

Well, it HAPPENED! As promised, Grainne and Chantal did what most of us can only dream of and enticed 'The One and Only' Mr Chesney Hawkes into a room so he could tell us which couple he hasn't gotten over breaking up; and what a wild ride the escapades of Sam Malone and Diane Chambers' romance was.... almost worthy of a storyline from a 1980s sitc…

1
298 - Tribal - Michael Morris 1:33:46

7M ago1:33:46

1:33:46

In this episode we sit down with renowned cultural psychologist Michael Morris to discuss his new book, Tribal, in which he makes the case for seeing humans as an "us" species, not a "them" species. Morris says that since we genetically predisposed to collaborate, coordinate, and cooperate. He believes we can leverage our innate desire to work toge…

1
Dominick Pupa: Sonny & Cher 1:13:03

7M ago1:13:03

1:13:03

Today's episode is iconic in just about every way, there's the guest, comedian, drama queen and all-round deity, Dominick Pupa, and there's the couple he picked for us... and it's happened, as this week we get to delve into the world of the patron saint of the show and her erstwhile husband - It's Sonny and Cher! For a while they got each other bab…

1
Good things come to those who wait 0:43

7M ago0:43

0:43

These are unprecedented times and so sometimes unprecedented things happen - not least in the world of podcasting, so please bear with us, while we work through a technical glitch with this week's episode, which will now drop this Sunday. Good things come to those who wait - and nothing is as good as this week's episode with Dominick Pupa, which wi…

1
297 - Project Alpha - Brian Brushwood (rebroadcast) 1:10:06

7M ago1:10:06

1:10:06

Brian Brushwood tells us how he put together the most recent season of The World's Greatest Con, his podcast about incredible scams and over the top chicanery. This season is all about how two teenagers pulled off an incredible hoax called Project Alpha, a con job and a publicity stunt meant to improve scientific rigor and methodology when it comes…

1
Live Show Guest Announcement - Chesney Hawkes! 4:09

7M ago4:09

4:09

This hasn't been the One and Only announcement of the current season of The Way They Were, but it's by far the biggest, as we can now FINALLY spill the beans as to the identity of our very special guest at our next live show at The Cheerful Earful Podcast festival on Saturday 19th October at 5pm, at The Bedford Arms in Balham London.... We can now …

1
Mark O'Donovan: Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz 1:14:12

7M ago1:14:12

1:14:12

This week's episode of The Way They Were is a screwball of delight, as writer Mark O'Donovan shares with us his passion for the one of the biggest showbiz couples the US has ever known, who still hold legendary status in pop culture, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz! What on earth would an evening out with this toxic twosome hold? Have a listen and find…

1
Heidi Regan: Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams 1:01:08

8M ago1:01:08

1:01:08

It's finally arrived! Comedian Heidi Regan has given us all permission to wallow in the lost love of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams and once again lament the fact that no one but Rachel will be kissed they way Ryan kissed her at the VMAs... but unless it's Ryan doin the kissing, what's the point? Theirs was a love straight out of a Hollywood film,…

1
296 - Job Therapy - Tessa West 55:09

8M ago55:09

55:09

Are you unhappy at your job? Are you starting to consider a change of career because of how your current work makes you feel? Do you know why? According to our guest in this episode, Dr. Tessa West, a psychologist at NYU, if you are currently contemplating whether you want to do the work that you do everyday you should know that although this feeli…

1
Luke Meredith: ABBA's Bjorn & Agnetha 1:08:39

8M ago1:08:39

1:08:39

This week's episode of TWTW is a 'voyage' into the swinging world of knitted sequin hats, platform silver boots and Eurovision.Yes, cabaret star Luke Merideth, really does a great job in knowing me, knowing you, and decided it was high time we took a deep dive into the torrid love story behind the stars of ABBA! But, as we didn't have three hours t…

1
Zack Signore: Angelina Jolie & Billy Bob Thornton 1:11:54

8M ago1:11:54

1:11:54

Christmas has come early for Chantal, as we take a deep dive into the very couple she wanted more than ANYTHING to explore, and thanks to her her apparent soul mate, comedian and podcaster Zack Signore, she's able to rip the wrapping off the whirlwind 'romance' that was Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton's more than vile (geddit?) union. Even ar…

1
295 - Easy Crafts for the Insane - Kelly Williams Brown 1:15:17

8M ago1:15:17

1:15:17

In this episode we sit down with author Kelly Williams Brown, an old friend who (I recently learned) had attempted suicide, which is the subject of this episode – suicide prevention and awareness. In the show we learn about Kelly's latest book, Easy Crafts for the Insane, in which she recounts how, after she gained fame and success as a NYT bestsel…

1
James Barr: Gemma Collins & James Argent 1:08:02

8M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Today's offering of The Way They Were will have anyone with even a passing interest in the escapades of The G.C and Arg absolutely delighted, because thanks to comedian and podcaster, James Barr, that's the only way we're going with this ep! Yes, the Burton and Taylor of reality TV started their wild romance in the year of 2012, the Mayans were rig…

1
Benedict Townsend: Lisa Simpson & Nelson Muntz 1:03:09

8M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

In today's episode, we see that young love can be just as heartbreaking and nuanced as any adult relationship - especially if the people concerned have stayed at the age of eight for 35years... which is exactly the state of play for Lisa Simpson and her bad boy love interest Nelson Muntz. Yes, that right, we're going all the way back to the golden …

1
Emergency Episode! Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck 49:35

8M ago49:35

49:35

STOP ALL THE CLOCKS... CUT OFF THE PHONE... STOP THE DOG FROM BARKING WITH A JUICY BONE... The day has finally arrived when the bell has tolled on Bennifer 2:0. As you can imagine, the WhatsApp group sprang into action to bring you the SECOND emergency episode this week, as Grainne and Chantal invite Viv Groskop back on the show to once again pick …

1
Emergency Episode! Molly-Mae & Tommy Fury 29:09

9M ago29:09

29:09

STOP THE PRESS! Another celebrity break-up has rocked our world, so Grainne and Chantal dropped everything to bring us this emergency episode, discussing what happened to make Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury finally call it quits. We hear all the ins and outs that lead up to our star-crossed lovers publicly announcing their split, and we get the answers t…

1
294 - Living Constitutionally - A.J. Jacobs 1:28:25

9M ago1:28:25

1:28:25

In this episode we sit down with A.J. Jacobs, a journalist who noticed some striking similarities between Biblical fundamentalism and constitutional originalism, and since he once wrote a NYT bestselling book about titled The Year of Living Biblically in which he tried to live for a year as a fundamentalist, he tried to do something similar by livi…

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Jeremy Tompkins Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen