From 221B Baker Street to The White House, BBC podcast listeners went big on Sherlock Holmes and U.S. politics and culture in 2025.
President Donald Trump is suing the BBC for a $5B for the edit of one his speeches in its current affairs show Panorama, and that is surely among the reasons listeners in Britain flocked to Americast – a BBC show all about goings on in U.S. politics. It only trailed the generalist news pod Newscast in the 2025 top ten.
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) rounded the BBC podcast podium with Sherlock Holmes Short Stories, which he narrates. The BBC’s Sherlock TV series was a big hit at home and abroad during the 2010s and remains the subject of revival speculation and Prime Video has a new Young Sherlock show launching in 2026. Evidently, the appeal of Conan Doyle’s master sleuth remains strong.
Further down the top-ten there was a mix of paranormal, magazine shows, thrillers and comedies. One notable trend was a listener preference for matters historical. Although not making the top three, a trio of shows about yesteryear featured: Short History Of…; You’re Dead to Me; and The History Podcast.
The BBC said podcast listening increased 15% this year, with 2.5B podcast plays between Jan. and Nov.
Jonathan Wall, Director, BBC Sounds said: “Hitting 2.5 billion plays this year is a great milestone and it’s fantastic to see BBC Sounds continuing to grow via our big events, our great stations and streams, and our investment in podcasts.”
Herewith, and in order, is the BBC 2025 top ten.
- Newscast
- Americast
- Sherlock Holmes Short Stories
- Uncanny
- Elis James and John Robins
- Short History Of…
- Limelight
- You’re Dead to Me
- The History Podcast
- What’s Up Docs?
