Rephonic
Artwork for MORTAL
Death
Grief
Mortality
Funerals
Fungi
Poppy's Funerals
Soil
Direct Cremation
Mortuary
Ritual

Conversations for Living and Dying.

MORTAL is a podcast hosted by Gabriella Wilde, exploring mortality, grief and our relationship with the dead.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes6Foundeda month ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SpiritualityDocumentaryReligion & SpiritualitySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for MORTAL

Latest Episodes

A mid-season catch up from Gabriella & Olivia 🦋

__

Content note: MORTAL contains conversations around death, bereavement and loss 🕊️

__

For signposting to support for any of the topics covered in this series 🌀 linktr.ee/MortalPodcast

more

This week Gabriella and MORTAL co-creator Olivia go to meet funeral director and founder of Poppy’s Funerals, Poppy Mardall.

In their conversation Poppy talks to Gabriella about the journey of a body after death; demystifying the process and the di... more

Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer and speaker with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, and ecology. His special interest is in studying fungi; extraordinary organisms that support our lives in so many different ways. He is the author ... more

Gabriella is joined by psychotherapist, author and grief expert Julia Samuel MBE. She is the founder / patron of Child Bereavement UK and the author of best selling books: Grief Works, This Too Shall Pass and Every Family Tells a Story. In 2015 Julia... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
How To Fail With Elizabeth DayElizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment
Therapy Works
Therapy WorksThe Times
Outsiding
OutsidingCold Glass Productions

Recent Guests

Poppy Mardall
Founder of Poppy's Funerals, funeral director
Poppy's Funerals
Episode: Funeral Director Poppy Mardall: How Our Bodies Are Cared For After We Die
Merlin Sheldrake
Biologist and author of Entangled Life
Episode: Merlin Sheldrake: How Mushrooms Deepen our Sense of Mystery & Connect us to Ancient Cycles of Life
Julia Samuel
Psychotherapist and grief/bereavement expert
Child Bereavement UK (guest role for episode)
Episode: Grief expert Julia Samuel: ‘Have the conversations well before anyone is ill’ - Why We Need to Talk about Death
Bruce Parry
Explorer and documentary filmmaker known for living with indigenous groups
Self-employed/Filmmaker; previously BBC
Episode: Bruce Parry: Ancestors, Belonging and Speaking to our Dead

Host

Gabriella Wilde
Host guiding conversations about mortality, grief, and meaning

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Bruce Parry

    I really enjoyed listening to this conversation. It sparks a curiosity to want to keep learning more & discover new ways of looking at death & dying. Thank you so much for opening this up. 🙏🏾

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    With Love from Corinne x
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Bruce Parry

    This was such a powerful conversation that will stay with me. So many depths explored including death (of course) and ancestors and how to maintain relationships with the dead. I loved every minute. Thank you so much and look forward to the next episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    donnalancs
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Powerful

    This moved me deeply. Can’t wait for the next episode

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    emmaelizabethsh
    United Kingdoma month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests bring diverse perspectives—from science to indigenous wisdom—that broaden the conversation.
Episodes consistently offer practical angles (family conversations, funeral rituals) that feel grounded and human.
Listeners appreciate the compassionate, thoughtful handling of difficult topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Funeral Director Poppy Mardall: How Our Bodies Are Cared For After We Die
Q: How can we begin becoming more comfortable talking about death before crisis forces us to?
Planting relaxed seeds for conversations, sharing small experiences from funerals, and approaching discussions with openness rather than pressure helps normalize the topic over time.
Funeral Director Poppy Mardall: How Our Bodies Are Cared For After We Die
Q: What role do you think beauty and creativity play in mourning?
Creativity is valuable but should have space and timing; ceremonies and personal touches—like decorating coffins or color-ins, and ongoing rituals—help people process grief and renegotiate their relationship with the deceased.
Funeral Director Poppy Mardall: How Our Bodies Are Cared For After We Die
Q: Would you encourage families to be more involved in caring for their dead? Do you see cultural differences in this practice?
She encourages families to do what they need and want, highlighting that care can start before death and that involvement varies by family preferences and cultural background.
Funeral Director Poppy Mardall: How Our Bodies Are Cared For After We Die
Q: Poppy, can you introduce yourself and tell us about the work that you do?
Poppy describes founding Poppy's Funerals, her approach to compassionate, transparent funeral care across Greater London, and how she aims to prioritize the needs and emotions of the living while respecting the dead.
Grief expert Julia Samuel: ‘Have the conversations well before anyone is ill’ - Why We Need to Talk about Death
Q: What is the most important takeaway for someone facing the reality of death?
The task of mourning is to update our mind and body to reflect that a loved one is no longer present, while maintaining connection through tender conversations and shared memories to live fully despite loss.

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 MORTAL

What is MORTAL about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the show centers on mortality, grief, and our relationship with the dead, blending intimate conversations with guests who bring practical, cultural, and scientific perspectives on dying and remembrance. Topics range from funeral care and mortuary rituals to the ecological and philosophical dimensions of life-death cycles, including indigenous worldviews and fungal metaphors for decay and renewal. The tone tends toward compassionate exploration, often inviting listeners to reflect on personal rituals, family conversations, and the ways society treats death—making this a thought-provoking fit for listeners seeking meaningful, human-centered discussions about mortality and meaning.

Where can I find podcast stats for MORTAL?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for MORTAL. 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 MORTAL and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does MORTAL get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for MORTAL, 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 MORTAL?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for MORTAL, 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 MORTAL have?

To see how many followers or subscribers MORTAL 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 MORTAL?

These podcasts share a similar audience with MORTAL:

1. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
2. Therapy Works
3. Outsiding
4. As the Season Turns
5. The Shift with Sam Baker

How many episodes of MORTAL are there?

MORTAL launched a month ago and published 6 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 MORTAL?

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 MORTAL?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for MORTAL 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 MORTAL?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of MORTAL. 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 MORTAL?

Recent guests on MORTAL include:

1. Poppy Mardall
2. Merlin Sheldrake
3. Julia Samuel
4. Bruce Parry

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days