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Lives Less Ordinary

BBC World Service
Tupamaros
Uruguay
José Mujica
Cyprus
Libya
Fugees
Michel Van Rijn
Amazing Sport Stories
Cameroon
Moscow
Migration
Family
Lucía Topolanski
Revolution
Stolen Heritage
Aydin Dickman
Antiquities
Brazilian Amazon
Vietnam
Rock and Roll

Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger and wondered, "What’s their story?" Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes305Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureDocumentaryPersonal Journals

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Artwork for Lives Less Ordinary

Latest Episodes

Ify Adenuga grew up with strict parents. As a mum, she rewrote the rulebook and encouraged creativity in her children, with her son Skepta becoming an award-winning music artist.

Ify Adenuga is parent to a musical powerhouse. Her son Skepta is a sem... more

Filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman railed against Hollywood his whole career as the founder of cult B-movie production house, Troma, while his daughter Lily-Hayes dreamt only of fitting in.

Lloyd Kaufman has been the father of anti-establishment filmmaking fo... more

M People star Andrew Lovell’s home life hid a terrible – yet beautiful – secret. It would take him decades to find out the truth.

At the height of his fame, drummer Andrew ‘Shovell’ Lovell had everything he’d dreamed of: sex, drugs and regular appea... more

While Francois Pierron was homeless in London he taught himself to play a public piano at St Pancras train station – from scratch. His mastery of music helped change his future.

Francois had a difficult start in life. He was abandoned as a newborn o... more

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Andrew Lovell
Musician, known as Shovell, drummer for M People
M People
Episode: Growing up black in a white family – the truth behind my birth
Francois Pierron
Former homeless man who taught himself piano in public spaces
Self-described musician; participant in media programs
Episode: Music was my salvation: the homeless man and the piano
Maggie Robin
Woman who shared her home with a grizzly bear
Local Scottish family
Episode: Hercules: the grizzly bear who became family
Loubna Mrie
Syrian activist and author of the memoir 'Defiance'
Episode: Sects, lies and videotape: a Syrian story, part 2
Ijeoma Uchegbu
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a leading expert in the field of nanoparticles and a professor at University College London.
University College London
Episode: One suitcase, three kids: a broke scientist pursues a dream
Jenny Evans
A survivor who experienced first-hand the corruption involved in a sexual assault case and has since turned to journalism.
Episode: My private trauma was leaked to the press – so I fought back
Tim Berners-Lee
Inventor of the World Wide Web and advocate for digital sovereignty
Episode: Tim Berners-Lee: The man who dreamed of a World Wide Web
Giulia Bacosi
Crew member aboard the Avontuur, sharing her experiences and observations
Sailing Cargo Ship Avontuur
Episode: Hold Fast! 5. No better mirror than the sea
Christiaan de Beukelaer
An academic doing research on the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
Episode: Hold Fast! 1. Signs from the universe

Hosts

Jo Fidgen
Co-presenter and host known for engaging, thoughtful interviews and global storytelling.
Asya Fouks
Contributor with a background in storytelling and international human-interest conversations.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 2.2k ratings
  • Usually good, but not today

    The NZ couple was SO hard to listen to. Sniff sniff every few words. Surely that could have been edited out

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    nivlag8
    Australia2 months ago
  • Good show

    Interviewing different people about interesting experiences and incidents, would recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ishaan Shetty 1411
    Singapore4 months ago
  • Simply perfect

    Love it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jeckles88
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Zarna Gary

    What an amazing story of how she got where she is! I love her!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cuca Girl
    United States7 months ago
  • Uplifting

    In these bleak times, I rely on Lives Less Ordinary to bring me hope. Stories about people surmounting sometimes unbelievably impossible obstacles- the one about the Indian woman whose stepmother stabbed, blinded her and left her homeless- comes to mind— and she not only persisted but learned to truly thrive. So many inspiring stories like that. A great pick-me-up when you’re feeling low

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sharon in Davis
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall high-quality storytelling with worldwide scope and inspiring guests.
Some listeners note perceived bias or interviewer style affecting pace in certain episodes.
Strong positive consensus on production value and guest diversity.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Growing up black in a white family – the truth behind my birth
Q: What was it like growing up in a multicultural environment in London, and how did that shape you?
He explains that Deptford's multicultural mix helped him embrace both black and white influences, leading to a musical identity that fused punk, reggae, and later house—an ongoing exploration of belonging across cultures.
Growing up black in a white family – the truth behind my birth
Q: How did you actually discover drums in the first place?
He describes being drawn to rhythm after being unable to sit still, stumbling into a Deptford youth club, and falling in love with percussion, starting with the bongos and moving into drums as a pathway to focus and identity.
Sects, lies and videotape: a Syrian story, part 2
Q: You mentioned that you wanted at the time to push the pain away and that you were engaging in what you described as very destructive behaviours, self-destructive.
Loubna acknowledged that it was normal for her to resist confronting her pain but ultimately realized she needed to process it constructively.
Sects, lies and videotape: a Syrian story, part 2
Q: Have you sought help in America to deal with the things that you suffered?
Loubna began addressing her grief and trauma after allowing herself to process her emotions, especially post-rehabilitation.
Sects, lies and videotape: a Syrian story, part 2
Q: Was there anyone you could talk to at that time in your life?
Loubna felt isolated after her mother's disappearance, believing she was to blame, and lost her connection with her sister due to their shared pain.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lives Less Ordinary

What is Lives Less Ordinary about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program curates deeply personal, real-life stories from people around the world, focusing on resilience, identity, and transformation. Episodes explore intimate journeys—ranging from activism and survival to improbable life pivots and creative reinventions—told through first-person narratives and thoughtful interviewing. The tone is human-centered and globally minded, often highlighting social issues, cultural contexts, and moments of change in people's lives. A standout trait is the breadth of subjects, from historic upheavals to intimate, everyday breakthroughs, all anchored by careful storytelling and empathetic hosting that keeps listeners engaged and inspired.

Where can I find podcast stats for Lives Less Ordinary?

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

How many listeners does Lives Less Ordinary get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Lives Less Ordinary, 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 Lives Less Ordinary?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Lives Less Ordinary, 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 Lives Less Ordinary have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Lives Less Ordinary 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 Lives Less Ordinary?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Lives Less Ordinary:

1. The Documentary Podcast
2. Witness History
3. The Audio Long Read
4. The Inquiry
5. The Slow Newscast

How many episodes of Lives Less Ordinary are there?

Lives Less Ordinary launched 17 years ago and published 305 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 Lives Less Ordinary?

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 Lives Less Ordinary?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Lives Less Ordinary 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 Lives Less Ordinary?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Lives Less Ordinary. 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 Lives Less Ordinary?

Recent guests on Lives Less Ordinary include:

1. Andrew Lovell
2. Francois Pierron
3. Maggie Robin
4. Loubna Mrie
5. Ijeoma Uchegbu
6. Jenny Evans
7. Tim Berners-Lee
8. Giulia Bacosi

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.

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