The world is enthralled by Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes—the unintentional posh girls of podcasting. Despite their perceived social class, and detractors like Piers Morgan, the pair are anything but part of the un-relatable bourgeoisie. No, I couldn't care less if they were sipping Moet, or chugging 60p builder's tea. Sidenote: my use of the aforementioned 60p builder's tea is such a clear illustration of how much I need to go home to Ireland. There, we have two options: Barry's or Lyon's. Now back to the High Low...
Within six weeks of launching The High Low Podcast, the pair amassed 100,000 listeners, proving that highbrow and lowbrow culture are not mutually exclusive. Whether they're waxing lyrical on George Floyd and the anti-racism debate, Obama's views on 'woke' culture, or the micro-trends of the Covid-19 lockdown, the London writers keep us chomping at the bit for the next mouth-watering episode.
Each instalment offers a perfectly-sized portion of razor-sharp wit, heretofore unseen in the world of podcasting. I yearn to pull up a pew, pour a gin, and join them on the zeitgeisty vignettes and cultural commentary they have become known for. I drool over every pronoun and preposition.
Alderton, the author of Everything I Know About Love, worked as a freelance writer for over a decade, weaving stories for some of the world's publishing elite: The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, GQ, The New Statesman, Red, Marie Claire, Marie Claire Australia, Esquire, Grazia, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Stylist, ES Magazine, The Evening Standard, Spectator, Man Repeller, Vice and Elle; the kind of portfolio a writer's loins simply burn for. She also boasts a stint as Story Producer on Made in Chelsea. Yes, she was responsible for Binky and the rest of the gang's misgivings and indiscretions.
Alderton's' sister-in-arms and sister-in-arts, Panora Skykes, is one stylish storyteller acting as a perfect sparring partner for the show's beautiful badinage. An equally astute pen-woman, Sykes is a former Fashion Features Editor of The Sunday Times Style magazine and contributing editor at ELLE and ManRepeller.com, & has also written for titles like The Observer, The Telegraph, GQ, Vogue UK & Australia, Red, ES Magazine and The Cut. Her debut collection of essays, How Do We Know We Are Doing It Right, hits the shelves this month.
Check out The High Low wherever you listen to podcasts.
Header image courtesy of Pandora Sykes
