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Griefcast
Griefcast
Griefcast
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Griefcast
Genreperforming arts podcast, arts podcast, comedy podcast Edit this on Wikidata
LanguageEnglish
Cast and voices
Hosted byCariad Lloyd
Production
ProductionRecorded at Whistledown Studios
Edited by Kate Holland
Music by the Glue Ensemble
Length1 hour (approximate)
Publication
Original release2016 (2016)
Provideracast
Reception
Ratings4.6/5 Edit this on Wikidata
Related
Websitehttps://cariadlloyd.com/griefcast Edit this on Wikidata

Griefcast is a British podcast about grief and loss. Hosted by comic and actor Cariad Lloyd, the podcasts feature hour-long conversations about grief and bereavement with people who have experienced the death of loved ones. Lloyd asks guests "Who are we remembering today?" at the start of each episode. [1][2]

Many of the guests on Griefcast are also comics; in a 2018 interview Lloyd said: "If you have a comic sensibility, you do this at any serious event. You break awkwardness with jokes. It's a way of coping. You have a breath of laughter when, for a moment, you forget that someone you love is dying. It's like coming up for air."[3]

Griefcast premiered in 2016 and was one of the top podcasts on iTunes within six months. It has won several awards, including Best Entertainment Podcast and Podcast of the Year at the British Podcast Awards and an ARIA Award for Best Podcast. In a 2018 article in FT, Fiona Sturges wrote: "If justification were needed for the existence of podcasts, this show is it."[4] The final episode of Griefcast was recorded in January 2023.

References

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Griefcast

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Griefcast is a British hosted by comedian and actor , featuring hour-long interviews with celebrities, primarily comedians, who share personal stories of grief and bereavement following the loss of loved ones. Launched in December 2016 as a personal project inspired by Lloyd's own experience of losing her father to at age 15, the podcast explores the human experience of death and mourning in a candid yet often humorous tone, blending raw emotion with levity. Over its run, which includes multiple seasons and nearly 200 episodes before going on hiatus, Griefcast has garnered critical acclaim for normalizing conversations about grief, earning three Gold awards at the 2018 British Podcast Awards for Best Entertainment Podcast, Best Interview Podcast, and Podcast of the Year, as well as Podcast of the Year at the 2019 UK ARIA Awards. The series has also inspired Lloyd's 2023 book, : A Guide to Grief, which draws from the podcast's themes and guest insights to offer practical advice on navigating loss.

Concept and format

Premise and themes

Griefcast is a podcast hosted by British comedian and writer Cariad Lloyd that delves into the human experience of grief and death through intimate conversations with guests, primarily from the entertainment industry such as actors, writers, and fellow performers. Lloyd, who lost her father to pancreatic cancer at the age of 15, created the series as a means to process her own long-suppressed bereavement, drawing directly from this personal loss to frame discussions on emotional vulnerability and loss. The podcast emphasizes raw, unfiltered storytelling about bereavement, often highlighting the absurdities and oddities that accompany mourning, such as awkward social interactions or unexpected emotional shifts. Central themes revolve around the multifaceted nature of , including its , isolation, and ongoing impact on daily life, while incorporating comedic perspectives to illuminate emotional processing without descending into . Guests share personal anecdotes of losing loved ones, blending humor with to explore how serves as a survival mechanism amid tragedy, as Lloyd has described: "Laughter? It's about survival. It's about living." This approach lightens heavy topics through gallows humor and relatable wit, distinguishing the series from more clinical explorations of loss. The podcast's core goal is to normalize about , fostering a and reducing the stigma that often silences such conversations, ultimately aiming to leave listeners feeling less alone rather than more burdened. Unlike traditional grief resources that rely on therapeutic advice or platitudes, Griefcast prioritizes authentic vulnerability through comedic lenses, offering a "cheerier than it sounds" space for processing without prescriptive solutions.

Episode structure and style

Each episode of Griefcast begins with host posing the question "Who are we remembering today?" to the guest, serving as an introduction to the specific loss being discussed. This leads into an hour-long interview format, where guests recount unscripted personal stories about their deceased loved ones. The podcast's style draws from Lloyd's background in improvisation and comedy, fostering candid, non-linear that allows conversations to unfold naturally without rigid scripts. Guests blend humor and anecdotes with deeper reflections on , creating an intimate and often cheerier exploration of despite its somber subject matter. This approach emphasizes emotional authenticity, encouraging participants to share messy, unpredictable experiences rather than following a prescribed . Over its run from 2016 to 2023, Griefcast produced 190 episodes across 10 seasons, consistently centering personal narratives while featuring a diverse array of guests, such as comedians like .

Production

Host and creative team

is the creator and host of Griefcast, a British , , writer, and podcaster known for her work in improvisational . Her personal experience with , particularly the sudden death of her father from when she was 15, profoundly inspired the , as she sought to address the silence surrounding loss in her own life. Lloyd's background in , including her involvement with the group , influences the podcast's tone, blending humor with vulnerability to create an accessible space for discussing death. As host, Lloyd plays a central role in selecting guests and guiding conversations, drawing on her expertise in to navigate sensitive topics of while encouraging honest, unhurried dialogue. She has interviewed hundreds of individuals about their experiences, fostering a format that emphasizes shared humanity over scripted responses. Kate Holland serves as the podcast's editor, handling to refine episodes and ensure a polished listening experience. Other key contributors include Jayde Perkin, who designs the artwork, including logos, banners, and guest portraits, enhancing the podcast's visual identity. Alice Loveday creates the stop-motion clips, adding a creative, animated element to promote episodes online.

Recording and technical aspects

Episodes of Griefcast were initially recorded at Whistledown Studios in . Following the onset of the , recording transitioned to a remote setup conducted from host Cariad Lloyd's , a method that has persisted to the present day. The 's music is provided by The Glue Ensemble. Post-production editing is performed by Kate Holland. Griefcast is distributed via the platform and made available on , , and . The launched on in 2016.

History

Launch and early development

Griefcast originated from Cariad Lloyd's personal experiences of loss after her father's death from when she was 15 years old. Motivated by a desire to normalize discussions about bereavement, Lloyd envisioned the as a way to foster ongoing dialogue on a topic often avoided in everyday life. Launched on November 19, 2016, as a weekly interview , Griefcast debuted with guest , who shared stories about the recent passing of his father. Lloyd's core aim was to build a space where "funny people talk about ," countering her frustration with the scarcity of open discourse within the world, where personal vulnerabilities were rarely aired publicly. Early episodes maintained this intimate, humorous tone, drawing on Lloyd's background in and panel shows to create candid yet light-hearted exchanges. The quickly gained traction, becoming a word-of-mouth success and a regular fixture on the podcast charts within months of its release. This rapid ascent was bolstered by Lloyd's prior visibility in British media, including appearances on and , which helped attract an initial audience interested in her unique blend of comedy and emotional depth. By mid-2017, Griefcast had established itself as a fixture among leading podcasts, reflecting growing public appetite for authentic explorations of mortality.

Expansion and conclusion

Following the 2018 British Podcast Awards, where Griefcast secured three gold medals including of the Year, the series experienced a significant listener boost and expanded its international reach, evidenced by its win for Best at the 2019 ARIA Awards in . By early 2023, the podcast had accumulated over seven million downloads worldwide. In response to the 2020 , Griefcast transitioned to fully remote recordings conducted from host Cariad Lloyd's living room, enabling uninterrupted output while its sixth season incorporated discussions of pandemic-related losses and the collective grief of lockdowns. The series ultimately comprised ten seasons and 190 episodes. Its final episode (190) aired on January 31, 2023, featuring poet discussing the loss of her grandmother during the . One of the concluding episodes, aired on January 18, 2023, featured Poorna Bell interviewing Lloyd on her personal journey with grief and the podcast's evolution. Lloyd subsequently placed Griefcast on hiatus in 2023 to pursue other endeavors, including her book , drawn from the show's themes; all episodes continue to be accessible across platforms, accompanied by sporadic engagement from the , with the hiatus ongoing as of 2025. A core challenge in sustaining Griefcast involved managing the emotional demands on Lloyd and her guests—often reliving raw experiences of loss—against the rigors of a reliable weekly schedule, particularly as the intensified such sensitivities.

Reception and impact

Critical reception

Upon its release, Griefcast received widespread acclaim from critics for its innovative handling of through candid conversations with comedians. In a review, the described the podcast as a "justification for the existence of podcasts," highlighting its "amazing rawness and " in balancing profound loss with humor. Similarly, in late praised its life-affirming approach, noting how host Cariad Lloyd's interviews with guests like deliver "graceful, ease-filled" discussions that normalize death without descending into sentimentality. Critics consistently commended the podcast's effective blend of humor and heartbreak, which avoids clichés while fostering . This mix is evident in episodes that juxtapose raw emotional disclosures with comedic detours, such as awkward anecdotes, creating a space for listeners to confront authentically. The show's listener reception reflects this balance, earning an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on based on 3,596 reviews as of September 2025. While some reviewers acknowledged the emotional intensity of certain episodes, this was generally viewed as a strength, contributing to its role in destigmatizing discussions about . Media coverage further underscored Griefcast's impact, with in 2021 featuring an episode with as one of the "ultimate podcast episodes" for its poignant 50-50 ratio of tears and laughs in exploring personal loss. More recently, a 2025 Church Times review affirmed its enduring relevance, praising the final episode's tender examination of grief hierarchies and societal expectations as resonant and thought-provoking. Overall, the podcast has been lauded for pioneering a compassionate yet unflinching dialogue on mortality.

Awards and recognition

Griefcast achieved notable success at the 2018 British Podcast Awards, securing three for Best Entertainment Podcast, Best Interview Podcast, and Podcast of the Year. These honors recognized the podcast's distinctive approach to blending with candid discussions of loss, positioning it as a frontrunner in audio content. The same year, it won the Best Podcast category at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAs), further validating its impact on listeners navigating . Additionally, it won Podcast of the Year at the 2019 UK Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAs). In 2019, Griefcast received a nomination in the Audio Entertainment category at the Awards, highlighting its growing international acclaim among global broadcasters. These accolades established Griefcast as an award-winning series from 2018 onward, enhancing its visibility and contributing to expanded reach during subsequent seasons.

Legacy

In 2023, Cariad Lloyd, the host of the podcast Griefcast, published You Are Not Alone: A New Way to Grieve through Bloomsbury Publishing, with a hardcover edition released in January and a paperback edition following in February 2024. The book serves as a blend of memoir and self-help, drawing on Lloyd's personal experiences of losing her father at age 15—describing herself as a "grief-mess" amid tangled emotions—and insights from Griefcast guests such as psychotherapist and Rev. , who shares reflections on the boredom of mourning. It guides readers through grief by avoiding clichés like the "five stages of grief" model, instead offering practical advice, such as chapter-end tips for navigating loss, and incorporating transcribed elements from episodes to illustrate diverse experiences. The work emphasizes that grief is individual, unpredictable, and ongoing, encouraging shared stories as a means of comfort without prescriptive solutions. You Are Not Alone became a Sunday Times bestseller, reflecting its resonance with audiences seeking honest discussions on loss. Critics praised its wit and compassion; a 2023 review in highlighted its "moving and funny" approach to , noting how it extends the podcast's communal spirit by interspersing personal anecdotes with wise, homespun guidance. On , it holds an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 from over 1,000 user reviews, underscoring its broad appeal as a compassionate resource.

Cultural influence

Griefcast has played a pivotal role in normalizing discussions of within and broader media landscapes by featuring comedians and public figures sharing candid, humorous accounts of loss, thereby reducing the taboo surrounding . This approach has encouraged a more open cultural , positioning as a universal experience that can be explored through laughter and rather than solemnity alone. The contributed to the broader rise of "death positive" formats, alongside similar shows like Dead Honest launched in 2019, which humanizes conversations about dying and bereavement through intimate interviews. Listeners have widely reported that Griefcast aided in processing personal losses, offering a therapeutic outlet that fosters community without adopting a clinical tone, often described as akin to extended group therapy sessions. Episodes featuring notable guests, including comedian , writer , and broadcaster James O'Brien, have resonated deeply, with specific installments like #139 with Rev. —discussing the loss of his partner—frequently highlighted in curated best-of lists for their emotional insight and reach. These narratives have helped numerous individuals feel less isolated in their grief, contributing to a broader societal shift toward empathetic engagement with bereavement. The 's ongoing legacy is evident in its archived episodes, which remain accessible on major platforms, allowing continued discovery and reflection long after its production hiatus. channels, including @thegriefcast on X (formerly ) and , sustain community interaction by sharing resources and updates, keeping the conversation alive. As of 2025, reviews continue to affirm its relevance and enduring value in contemporary discourse. The accompanying book, , further extends this influence by compiling key insights into a tangible format for wider readership.

References

  1. https://cariadlloyd.com/griefcast
  2. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/griefcast/id1178572854
  3. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/20-january/features/features/interview-with-cariad-lloyd-who-are-we-remembering-today
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/oct/10/griefcast-cariad-lloyd-interview
  5. https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/blog/podcast-cariad-lloyd
  6. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/british-podcast-awards-2018-cariad-lloyds-griefcast-sweeps-the-board/
  7. https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-Alone/dp/1526621835
  8. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/griefcast-hit-podcast-teaching-us-laugh-death/
  9. https://cariadlloyd.com/dad-episodes
  10. https://www.the-tls.com/regular-features/audio-visual/sos-calls-liberal-spells
  11. https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/theredbulletin/cariad-lloyd-interview
  12. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas/2023/11/16/best-podcasts-grief-griefcast-anderson-cooper-marie-curie/
  13. https://cariadlloyd.com/griefcast-episodes-all
  14. https://cariadlloyd.com/about
  15. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/07/ways-to-talk-to-people-grieving-cariad-lloyd-griefcast
  16. https://shows.acast.com/griefcast
  17. https://www.jaydeperkin.com/griefcast
  18. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/james-obrien/id1178572854?i=1000525666291
  19. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/dec/02/dead-funny-comedy-grief-standups-death-humour-laughter
  20. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cYkVAcD6HUc4MnwFkmeNS
  21. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/better-ways-to-live-with-grief-1.4723337/the-griefcast-podcast-finds-humour-in-the-darkness-1.4723357
  22. https://shows.acast.com/griefcast/about
  23. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/like-100-hours-group-therapy-griefcast-pandemics-important-podcast/
  24. https://www.instagram.com/thegriefcast/
  25. https://www.ft.com/content/5fad2056-6000-11e8-ab47-8fd33f423c09
  26. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/griefcast-life-affirming-conversations-about-death-1.3705748
  27. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/mar/20/podcast-buxton-song-exploder-criminal-griefcast
  28. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2025/21-march/books-arts/podcast-reviews/podcasts-review-griefcast-all-the-buried-women-electoral-dysfunction-and-desert-island-discs
  29. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/jul/28/cariad-lloyd-podcast-griefcast-dead-people-q-and-a
  30. https://rainnews.com/congratulations-to-the-2018-british-podcast-award-winners/
  31. https://happiful.com/you-me-and-the-big-c-and-griefcast-win-top-awards-at-the-uk-arias
  32. https://www.rosedor.com/2019/11/06/nominations-announced-for-the-2019-rose-dor-awards/
  33. https://www.thebookseller.com/author-interviews/cariad-lloyd-in-conversation-about-how-we-should-think-and-talk-about-grieving
  34. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/you-are-not-alone-9781526621870/
  35. https://www.waterstones.com/book/you-are-not-alone/cariad-lloyd/9781526621870
  36. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/21/you-are-not-alone-by-cariad-lloyd-review-the-mourning-after
  37. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61334869-you-are-not-alone
  38. https://cariadlloyd.com/book
  39. https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Are-Not-Alone-grieve/dp/1526621878
  40. https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2019/07/griefcast-surprisingly-funny-and-frequently-moving-podcast
  41. https://deadhonest.com/articles/the-rise-of-the-death-podcast
  42. https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1178572854-Griefcast
  43. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/07/favourite-single-podcast-episodes-this-american-life-love-radio-memory-palace-heavyweight-griefcast
  44. https://x.com/thegriefcast
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