Podcasts killed the radio star.

Or rather, they reinvented the radio star.

For a start, there are thousands to choose from, covering a range of topics from true crime, to fiction to history and politics.

If you’re a seasoned podcast listener, you probably already have your favourites picked out, but maybe the following list will expand your horizons.

For those who are new to the phenomenon, this is a great way to get started.

So without further ado, here are our picks for the top five podcasts of 2018, in no particular order:

When Meghan Met Harry [listen here]

The hosts of When Meghan Met Harry know more about the royal couple than anyone else on the planet. Tune in for updates about their relationship, or back-listen to their coverage of the royal wedding. The podcast also welcomes knowledgable guests like a crown jewels historian and royal astrologer.

Dear Franklin Jones [listen here]

Fascinated by the inner workings of cults? Then this one is for you. Host Jonathan Hirsch tells you all about Franklin Jones, who his parents were ardent followers of.

Jones was a controversial self-styled guru who was accused of brainwashing, sexual assault, and other crimes in the mid-1980s. Hirsch uses the notebooks and diaries kept by the Jones family to determine whether or not his family were really part of a cult.

Slow Burn [listen here]

We’ve been hearing a lot about Nixon and Watergate since Trump was elected. This podcast shows up the parallels between Nixon-era maelstroms and Trump-era pandemonium. It helps listeners to understand what it was like to live through a particular moment in political history.

This American Life [listen here]

This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program that takes a theme and explores it in several ‘acts’ that showcase non-fiction narratives, short fiction and sound footage. Every week is different and interesting, so if you’re not keen to listen to something that works like a series then this is the show for you.

Although the show is set in America, the themes are universal and relatable, no matter where you are.

Savage Lovecast [listen here]

Advice columnist extraordinaire Dan Savage has been in the sex and relationship advice business for almost 20 years. His podcast, based on the savage love column in The Stranger, engages with contemporary American politics and answers your pressing sex, relationship and sexuality-related questions (yes, yours – he takes calls from South Africans too).

He also consults with doctors, sex therapists, escorts and other experts for answers to questions he calls “above my pay grade”.

There are hundreds of superb podcasts out there, and these five don’t even scratch the surface in terms of the scope of what’s available these days, but we’re not going to bombard you on a Monday.

Happy listening.