Big Lives
Pushkin Industries and BBC StudiosEvery legend has a twist. From pop culture icons to music and comedy greats, award-winning journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to unpick the story behind the icons who shape our culture.
Each week on Big Lives, Kai and Emmanuel take an iconic figure — from musical trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner to stars of the screen like Richard Pryor... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 22 | Founded | 5 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureArts | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Who was the real James Baldwin, beyond the famous speeches and viral quotes? Hosts Kai and Emmanuel are joined by biographer Nicholas Boggs to explore the life and legacy of one of America's greatest writers. From his friendships and romances to his ... more
The new Odyssey movie was just released, with a star-studded cast including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattison. If you’re a fan of fantastical myths and legends, heroes behaving badly, ancient Greek culture and want t... more
We trace Tina Turner's journey from the cotton fields of Nutbush, Tennessee to global superstardom. We dig into the abuse that nearly ended her career, her extraordinary reinvention, and the overlooked influence she and other Black women had on a gen... more
Lauryn Hill is a generational voice, a cultural lightning rod, and one of music’s biggest what-ifs. This time, we're joined by NPR’s Code Switch host B.A. Parker to unpack the meteoric rise of the Fugees frontwoman, Lauryn Hill, and the intense press... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Fun hosts!
Although I am not a bald Black man (see Tina Turner episode), I feel like these hosts are good stand ins for my experience. One’s my age, one grew up with a Catholic worldview, and they are just curious optimists who want to celebrate people. Love it.
Apple Podcasts5Not a Sister
United States7 days ago - Points off for the host
Points off for the host who doesn’t know how to pronounce Wyclef Jean’s last name.
Apple Podcasts2JLK100United States13 days ago - Love it
I love this show! Looking forward to more episodes. Thank you guys.
Apple Podcasts5singerincalifornia77United States18 days ago - So Much to Uncover
The conceit of the show - use BBC archive interviews to uncover new perspective on larger-than-life figures - is delightful. As an American, much of these interviews are completely new to me, and I enjoy the cheeky, often wide-eyed banter of the hosts as they (re)learn about their subjects. Fun and light, and lets the footage shine.
Apple Podcasts5Bryan BelloUnited Statesa month ago - Always a surprise
I frequently see the name of the subject and think “I’m not that interested” and boy am I surprised. Consistently interesting and insightful. The hosts do a great job of weaving together BBC audio to create a portrait of their subject. I’ve learned details about public figures that are often surprising and frequently heartwarming.
Apple Podcasts5lphelanUnited Statesa month ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #156 |  Canada/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #242 |  United Kingdom/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #250 |  Australia/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #59 |  Chile/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #91 |  New Zealand/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #132 |  Colombia/Society & Culture |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About Big Lives
What is Big Lives about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Big Lives offers thoughtful, archive-driven portraits of cultural icons, spanning music, film, and comedy. Two hosts use BBC archival material to unpack a subject's life, work, and the broader social context, weaving in personal anecdotes and critical reflection to reveal nuance beyond headlines. Recent episodes showcase how fame intersects with race, sexuality, politics, and identity, with a steady emphasis on context, nuance, and the human stories behind public personas. The show tends to blend intimate storytelling with documentary-style analysis, often spotlighting archival clips to illuminate a subject's impact on culture and contemporary conversations. Noteworthy traits include its collaborative host dynamic, use of rare archival mate... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Big Lives?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Big Lives. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Big Lives and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Big Lives get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Big Lives, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Big Lives?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Big Lives, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Big Lives have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Big Lives has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Big Lives?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Big Lives:
1. The Secret World of Roald Dahl
2. This American Life
3. Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem
4. Heavyweight
5. Paper Trail
How many episodes of Big Lives are there?
Big Lives launched 5 months ago and published 22 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Big Lives?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Big Lives?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Big Lives from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Big Lives?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Big Lives. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Big Lives?
Recent guests on Big Lives include:
1. Emily Hauser
2. Kiell Smith-Bynoe
3. BA Parker
4. David Blight
5. George Takei
6. Rain Pryor
7. Paul Mooney
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.