Griefcast

335
Performing Arts #50

My goal right from the beginning was that I wanted it to be a podcast that, when it stopped, you didn’t feel worse,” says Cariad Lloyd, host of Griefcast, a weekly interview podcast where media personalities share stories about loved ones they've lost. “We’re all in this club that no one asked to join, and it’s really helpful when you realize there’s other people in the club. Part of grief is feeling quite isolated, so when you realize, ‘Oh, it's not just me,’ It does help.” In each episode, Lloyd makes space for natural, unhurried conversations for her guests to talk about death where, in her words, “Nobody’s going to change the subject.”


In 2016, the British actor, comedian, and writer came up with the idea of starting the show when she realized a lot of her comedian friends were doing podcasts. It coincided with her talking about her dad publicly, who passed away from pancreatic cancer when she was 15. “I’d kept it this hidden thing,” she says. "So once I started the podcast, and once people knew, people wanted to talk to me about it. It became this place where I could finally have those conversations I yearned to have.”


The multiple award-winning podcast—which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and launched its eighth season—has evolved from Lloyd talking to her comedian friends in the UK to inviting a broader range of guests including actors, writers, and producers, allowing her to focus on more specific types of grief. This approach has been especially helpful for her listeners during the global COVID-19 pandemic, steering the show to become a salve during a time when grief has become a more prevalent topic. “I feel really glad that, when the pandemic hit, there was a bank of episodes for people to scroll through— because I feel that's been quite helpful in some ways,” she says. “When you lose someone, you often want the world to stop, and it's enraging that it doesn’t. And the world did stop. It's part of the important process of grief, that the world carries on. And that's really helpful because it reminds you that, ‘You know what? I need to carry on.’


Funny people talking about death and grief, a podcast. Hosted by Cariad Lloyd.

Podcast of the Year 2018 / Best Podcast ARIA 2018 / Rose D'or Nominee 2019

You Are Not Alone

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/griefcast.

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

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Recent Reviews
  • hagshbfbbnnr
    I wish there were more episodes
    I don’t feel so alone when I’m listening to this. Cariad makes it feel like you’re sitting back, taking everything in and listening to your friends as they talk about really tough subjects that touch us all. It makes you understand your feelings are normal and ok
  • michellegala
    Please stop cutting people off
    Please please please I want to listen to this, but your voice is cutting everybody off. Please work on this.
  • Coopersmith71
    Counselors should prescribe this podcast for those who are grieving
    This podcast is a virtual safe space for laughing, crying, and feeling all the feelings that accompany grief. Cariad is a brilliant interviewer and her convos with an eclectic parade of guests highlight the universal elements of grief even as she honors the unique qualities of whomever the guest is remembering. If you have to be in the club, Cariad is precisely the right person to show you to your table.
  • Crystal pistol 1979
    Helpful
    My mom passed 8 months ago and listening to this podcast has been so comforting. I really love the frank honesty of the conversations. Listening feels like hanging out with friends. Thanks so much for doing this podcast!
  • KatKatAna
    Lifesaver
    Cariad and The Griefcast have been a literal lifesaver for me in this first year of grief. I shudder to think where I would be now, grieving a painful and shocking death during a pandemic, if it wasn’t for this podcast. It’s like attending group therapy but I don’t have to talk. My only suggestion is more listening and less interrupting of the guests, sometimes I feel like the guest was going to continue on with their train of thought and then it gets sidelined and I’m sat wondering what they wanted to say. I have this comment for many podcast hosts as well, that making affirming sounds or statements (like “yes, yes” or “hmm” etc) can be very distracting as I can’t then hear what the guest is saying and I’ve missed it, and I can also tell when the guest is about to be interrupted because I’ll hear a sharp intake of breath from the host and I’m often saying out loud, “please let the guest talk // finish speaking”. And often we don’t need a summary of what the guest just said. Don’t get me wrong, I still give the podcast 5 stars but I’ve noticed this with many hosts (even Oprah!) who sometimes dilute the amazing and valuable experience with these unconscious behaviors, and I often feel like I didn’t hear as much as I wanted from the guest who was willing to share even more. I hope this constructive comment is taken well and thank you for continuing on with the series!
  • Nanaweya
    Refreshing
    I just recently lost my mom on March 31,2022 to a terrible accident. I’m 23 and she was only 47 and my best friend in the whole world. The last few weeks have been a blur of emotions and I listened to the last episode with Yrsa talking about her mother and her grandmother and the wave of emotions you both experienced and mentioned were just so refreshing to hear. I feel not so alone in my grief. I am the middle of 5 children and our youngest brother is only 15, we celebrated his birthday without her this week. So it was a much needed listen.Thank you.
  • eogicjenroc
    It helped me
    I am a young teen and when I found this pod cast I thought it was awesome and I love it
  • momslilmonster
    Thank you
    I lost both my grandmother and my mom in 2021 within six months (almost to the day) of each other. I stumbled upon this podcast while looking for something else and I’m glad I did. I look forward to listening to all the other episodes. It’s a real help trying to wade through the emotional ups and downs. Thank you.
  • Tims4Life
    Helpful
    I lost my dad to COVID-19 on December 15, 2020 and this podcast has been helpful. Thank you Cariad ❤️
  • nice sunny day
    Grief
    This podcast would have been helpful after I losf my mom when I was in my 20s. But. After listing my son in my 40s, that’s a whole different ballgame.
  • jskaratha
    Love this show
    This podcast has been invaluable to me since my mom died a year ago. I’ve also found unexpected solace regarding my dad’s death 20+ years ago. Every story, no matter how similar or not to my own, provided wisdom and comfort. And often laughs too.
  • Amy K in NY
    Grief need not be a taboo subject nor witless!
    Just discovered this podcast by chance as it came across my feed. Only listened to two episodes but I’m already hooked! Having lost my mother going on three years in January, I have been completely taken off my axis which quite frankly wasn’t too steady to begin with! A podcast like this with an empathetic but funny host and insightful guests who will meet her note for note in intelligence and bring both humor and compassion to a deeply profound sad subject is life affirming! (See whether o dd there? Little pun for you.) Thank you!
  • celticsfan2006
    Thoughtful and different way to talk about grief
    I really appreciate the mix of comedic relief with thoughtful and compassionate conversations that we don’t have enough of around grief/loss.
  • Saki007
    In the middle of the night...
    When the terror struck after losing my father on Wed I found this podcast and Cariad has been a savior. I can bow down to grief knowing I’m in the club. Thank you. Xoxoxox
  • aqs88
    So thoughtful and helpful
    Amazing and thoughtful podcast. So helpful to those new to grief.
  • jennypaper
    Such an important podcast.
    I really appreciate this podcast. My only request is that the host lets the speaker talk without inserting comments and sounds so frequently. It’s very distracting. She is wonderful, though!
  • MermaidNAWineglass
    This is my saving grace.
    I have lost both set of parents, and in laws in less then two and a half years. From being 39 having it all. Finally at age where I really appreciated my parents so much flying to visit them all the time, to now here I am 41 being a orphan adult. A lot of days I struggle but this podcast always helps me dust myself off and keep going.
  • heartbreaking and real
    Love
    I love this podcast and the idea of it. My only issue is the host cuts people off all the time, (especially the death doula episode). I hope she goes back to letting guests talk more oppose to talking over them
  • Luckstr
    Great non-traditonal approach to processing grief
    I stumbled across this podcast this year and have been greatly impressed. I have experienced a lot of grief in my life so coping and dealing with death is always on my mind. But some of the more traditional approaches do not hit home with me. I love how relatable and down to earth Cariad is and how humor is woven throughout the episodes in a natural way. I mean hey if you can't laugh at some of this stuff, then you're really going to struggle. Great healing can come from telling your story, and listening to the stories of others. On a side note, I am in the US and I love hearing stories and experiences from people in the UK. Keep up the great work!
  • Haaviko
    Love in spite of Ep. 106
    Unfortunately episode 106 was like listening to sandpaper. This mans story about his grief might have been interesting or worth listening to if he spoke more than 5 words about it. Don’t hold Cariad responsible though, she did her best to wrangle him. To bad he wasn’t honest before he came on the show about what he wanted to talk about. Can’t get that 45 min back, couldn’t bare to finish it. Looking forward to redeeming my ears with future episodes. ❤️❤️❤️
  • Black Scorpion Elite
    Brilliant podcast
    Can’t believe how randomly I discovered it and how much I love it now!
  • Chibkkmgmr
    love love love
    This podcast has been so amazing to help me deal with the grief that came with losing my mom. It’s so helpful to listen and relate to some of the stories, but also have my eyes opened to other people’s stories of grief that are very different from mine. It helps me feel not so alone, and I can recommend it to my friends, who are going through grief as well. There’s something for everyone experiencing all types of grief. ♥️
  • sloopfan
    Great overall, but...
    I’m not fond of the latter live episodes and multiple guests. The aspect of this podcast I’ve loved most is the exploration of grief on an individual basis. Where you get their unique perspective and learn how the loss(es) shape their lives. I don’t get that with the live versions and when there’s multiple guests. The panel show vibe is a big turn off.
  • smtthatsme
    Thank you
    Cariad has created such a powerful and thorough resource with this podcast. I feel less alone, have learned more about the process of the end of my mom’s life, and had a giggle or two along the way. I will be forever grateful.
  • Mtonyhunts
    Funny and moving
    I’ve been listening for a while and have always recommended this show to friends and family. I went through a loss recently and this show has honestly helped me feel less alone and helped me give support to my family. I’m so grateful this has been made.
  • ofnightsky
    Brilliant, disarming, charming, and fascinating
    Cariad and her guests model how to be open, curious, sensitive, playful, compassionate, and thoughtful about death. The show is endlessly fascinating and I feel more human as a result of listening to it. I really appreciate the opportunity to get perspective on a subjective that so often provokes avoidance, awkwardness, and panic. I think the show creates the opportunity to be more thoughtful about death, the importance of which cannot be overstated. Oh, and it's fun!
  • Cavell26
    Your Most Life-Affirming Hour of the Week
    This is the warmest, kindest, most human programme you will let into your life. It is unbelievbly rich in experience, pain, redemption, hope, and humanity. It's familiar, funny, and gentle. Whatever your life experience has been, this show can offer you something you might not know you needed.
  • fdashf kdashkjfdsa
    Came from Beef & Dairy Network, love Cariad
    I'm just following all the podcast endeavors of everyone whose been on the Beef & Dairy Network Podcast and Cariad's podcast is fantastic! And has such soothing intro music :) lives up to the promise of being meaningful, genuine and funny <3
  • A Listener from Texas
    A wonderful resource for grieving people
    I began listening to this podcast shortly after my husband’s death from MND/ALS. Your interviews have helped me work through my own grief and to understand my adult children’s grief process. Thank you!
  • identicallme
    exactly what a freshly grieving person needs to hear
    my dad died september 10, 2018 in a truly traumatic way and though i’m 37 i was surprised to realize that i felt far too young to have to navigate such a thing (anger being a part of grief and all). so, being halfway across the country away from all my family has been difficult and i’ve felt very alone in my process. therapy is too expensive in the states if you don’t have insurance (and i don’t) and i’ve avoided talking about it to my friends for fear of being labeled a debbie-downer. but what to do with my big dumb feelings??? when i found this podcast i felt such a wave of relief. i binged for hours that first night, crying and irreverently laughing, feeling a kinship, feeling understood, all that kind of stuff you only understand after you’ve entered the club. cariad, thank you so much for having the wherewithal to make a podcast like this, it can’t always be easy and i just want to be one more voice affirming its significance. please keep it up. thank you for making all the strange jokes that i desperately want to make all the time but can’t because of how uncomfortable it makes people who don’t yet know. thanks for giving me hours worth of sitting and crying with someone else in the room. i feel such comfort and release with every listen. you are fantastic. 🍻
  • bluewhale56
    A source of healing
    This podcast has really helped me in my process of healing. I feel comfort in hearing people's stories and I feel understood by strangers who share the same feelings I have but haven't articulated to others out of fear of making them uncomfortable or pity me. Thank you for being a companion to me on this journey of "life after losing a loved one"!
  • ppotter10
    Highly recommend
    I cannot recommend this podcast highly enough for anyone who’s ever lost someone close. There’s something comforting in hearing how other people deal with grief, plus all the little anecdotes of even the mundane things that happen when you’re forced to say goodbye to a loved one. And don’t be fooled by the subject matter, it’s not grim at all, there is much humor to be found here, but it’s never misplaced. Kudos to host Cariad and all the guests she’s had on for having such open and honest conversations, and inviting the rest of us to listen and learn.
  • nipwaaks
    Gulp-sigh-laugh-cry
    If you are grieving, Cariad gets it. Episodes can hit close to home or give empathy to someone else’s loss. Top notch conversation.
  • bek_mar
    Funny and comforting
    This has quickly become my favorite podcast. Hearing conversations about grief and loss that somehow manage to be lighthearted and funny is so incredibly comforting. I learned in one episode that the name “Cariad” means love and I feel like Cariad Lloyd is very accurately named; she feels like a good old friend who always knows what to say to make you feel a little bit better.
  • Simpleman52
    So helpful
    Lost my dad unexpectedly 4 months ago. This podcast has been one of my support communities to help me work through the grief. Perfect mingling of sadness and laughter. Well done!
  • MeteorQueen
    My review
    This podcast is everything. There are no words to describe just how helpful it has been in the wake of my mother's death. Please keep making more episodes! I tell everyone I know about it, even when they think the topic of death is awkward, haha.
  • Maya the hound dog.
    A lighthearted poignant look at grief.
    It's nice to hear death spoken about so openly but still interspersed with laughter. We are often expected to grieve silently and quietly, not to share it with the outside world for fear of making others uncomfortable. It's comforting to know that just bubbling below the surface are a lot of stories just waiting to come out and be heard. Loved the latest one with Jess Fostekew, her Nanna sounded like a real character.
  • Graceful Lily
    Thank you
    Thank you for making this podcast. You are verbalizing my feelings with such grace and and dignity.
  • merparnell
    Lovely, therapeutic, funny, celebratory
    If you're part of the dead parent club, you know how big of a gap that there is between how much time you spend thinking about your dead loved one and how much capacity the world has to talk with you about it. I was blessed to find this podcast around 2 months after my dad died from early onset Alzheimers, right as the condolences dried up. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful it is. It is a break from the stilted/awkard/depressing way that people who aren't in the club talk about death. It's funny, personal, relatable, and moving. If gives me perspective about how my own grieving fits into a common experience and makes real Cariad's point: we are not alone. Thank you!
  • Carolyn630
    Insightful, Hilarious and Depressing
    Griefcast has made me laugh, cry and reflect on my own journey with grief. Cariad does a splendid job at capturing the various components that accompany grief while also being brutally honest about how we handle the worst times of our lives with humor.
  • llittlelarks
    You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cry while laughing
    10/10, for fans of The Hilarious World of Depression or Terrible, Thanks For Asking, for anyone who’s experienced this topsy turvey terrible beautiful feeling that we call grief. Stumbled upon this podcast shortly after learning my aunt was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and it was precisely what I needed. Thank you so much for being frank, honest, and the perfect blend of comedy and catharsis. I could not get through this time without you.
  • Crankdog
    A beautiful, atypical premise for a podcast
    I can see how some might be hesitant to dive deeply into the subject of death, but this podcast is so worth it. It’s like smoothing a stone. The host and guests make it honest, sensitive and approachable. This is a cathartic listen.
  • Stanzue
    Incredible
    The podcast is absolutely lovely. Grief and loss are absolutely at the forefront, but Cariad's approach is thorough adding in humor and joy. Each comedian offers wonderful insight about living and dying. It is far more expansive and does normalize the discussion of death & dying.
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