I hate podcasts, and for years have taken great pride in never having listened to one. Even if somebody is playing one within earshot of me I will jettison myself away from them and scream over it until it is no longer heard, such is my unbridled hatred of the medium. One time a close friend of mine recommended Welcome to Night Vale to me and I had to be physically sick on the spot, so I surprised myself when I found myself listening to one very special podcast every single night.

My Flatmate’s Endless Screaming started relatively small, but has now amassed a sizable and captive audience. Like many listeners inside the house, next door to the house, or just passing by the house at 2am, I was not sure about this podcast when it first launched. The premise of someone screaming endlessly did not immediately attract me, but after 8 straight months I have grown to love the variety of screams. The most endearing element of the podcast is the complete lack of structure; sometimes the hosts can spend up to twenty minutes on tangential screams, like the time they changed from high-pitched shouting to baboon-esque howls, making it a must-listen for any fans of extreme nature. 

There is some consistency in the shows, as every one is spiced up with prolonged musical interludes that in the past year have covered a wide range of 10 unique songs. I have no idea how the production team got licence to play the tracks to an entire street of people nightly, but they have certainly done their bit in ensuring some of the decade’s biggest hits live on through being burned into our collective memories (even if the host often struggles to remember half the words, us listeners will never forget).

They have also managed to get a large number of guests over the past year, a great achievement given the lockdown rules and the host’s own physical and personality-based shortcomings. Each one brings something to the table, like the lacrosse player with surprisingly firm views on Lenin, or the two DJ mates during the ‘January Exam Season special’. While there is never the same guest twice, the host always tries to form close connections with each one so  you really feel as if you are in the same room as them, the bed, and the Bose L1 System B1 Bass Module Subwoofer. 

Overall I would recommend listening to My Flatmate’s Endless Screaming, with a few caveats attached. While it can be enjoyed from anywhere I have found it best experienced from underneath, ideally binged for weeks at a time, available for only £95 a week plus bills. Please. I’ll even let you keep the TV.