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.
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Love the podcast but the last two episodes I found unlistenable as the host soliloquies went on and on. I’d love to know how many minutes Cariad spoke per episode compared to the guest. Ironically spending 10 minute flat telling Tom Allen it’s good to talk about grief! Great pod, great guests just lots of frustration about not hearing these great guests talk
2023-01-24
Please listen
I’ve avoided listening to this podcast till recently as I didn’t think I could stand hearing stories of grief after losing my father suddenly and the family fallout that happened, I was wrong, yes there are tears but also such joy and good advice. Thank you Cariad. X
2023-01-13
That episodr with Charlotte and Illy ❤️
My heart 😭🥺❤️ Guest idea: Welsh comedian Carys Eleri who has lost both her father and her best friend to pancreatic cancer. She is lovely and hilarious.
2023-01-06
Staves
Just finished listening to the Staves episode, how relevant, insightful and so well articulated it was. I’ve lost 4 immediate family members one of which was my mum also 4 years ago and all of what the girls talked about resonated with me, particularly about M&S! and the part of me that was only shown when I was with her. All part of being in the club. Thanks for the great episode.
2023-01-04
Really helpful, honest and funny in the right places!
I unfortunately joined the club nearly a year ago when my Mum died. I found this helpful in making me feel less alone. Whether you’re in the club or not, I recommend giving this a listen.
2022-11-30
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve just per-order your audio book 📚
2022-11-28
Amy
I lost my brother suddenly last month, this podcast has provided a much needed outlet to process what we are currently going through, comfort in spending time with people who have experienced the same and providing hope that we can find a way to live and at some point enjoy being alive again
2022-11-18
Thank you ❤️
I started listening to this a while before my mum died, she had a rare brain disease causing dementia, I watched her leave me slowly over 7 years, the last 3 of which were hell all through lockdown.
What I love about this podcast is the honest accounts of death and the grieving process, and the fact that every story is so personal and individual, I now understand that everyone deals with grief in their own way.
Cariad has a brilliant ability to empathise with all of her guests, giving them a safe space to share their story.
Each time I listen to an episode I hear something that helps me process my own grief, I can’t tell you how valuable that is. I feel slightly less bonkers!
I am so looking forward to reading the book, I have it on pre order.
Thank you for letting me join the club I didn’t want to join, but is oh so valuable.
2022-11-10
Insightful and funny, sad, eloquent
I can’t really express how useful this podcast has been to me - it helped me to process losing my Dad and I’ve learnt so much about death and dying. I’ve heard so many stories and I’ve laughed, cried, get comforted and mostly just felt empathy. I’ll be truly sad when it finishes.
2022-11-10
Tom Rosenthal
So inspiring listening to Tom Rosenthal’s totally positive attitude towards death and just everything really. Very uplifting episode. What a lovely guy.
2022-10-31
You are not alone…
This podcast has been a gargantuan relief during troubled times. If you’ve lost anyone, be they human or animal, then it truly is a relief to know that you are not alone. Having the space to discuss our grief is hugely important, and I thank you Lady Cariad for being a remarkable extra-curricular resource during my therapy. X
2022-08-01
Ed Byrne - a must listen!!
I recently lost my brother to a sudden unexplained death. After a month of not sleeping I thought I’d try to fill some time cause sitting was driving me crazy. This podcast is a must listen, you brought me laughter and tears all at the same time. Thanks for sharing your feelings and distracting me from mine!!
2022-07-29
Great podcast however
I really enjoyed listening to the guests, this podcast is such a great idea, I listen to it everyday, the only thing I have to put up with is the host, not a fan, I’ve looked through all the reviews, completely agree with some others who have commented on the hosting style.
2022-07-14
WONDERFUL !!
I am an avid fan of this podcast and love my wednesday Death Chats. What Cariad does is incredible and so important to talk about grief .. The Club is coming for all of us at some point, so better ot be prepared
2022-07-13
Great idea
I love this podcast and I love hearing other people’s accounts of death - at times it’s been really helpful.
One negative point - for me there’s a very strong feeling that Cariad is often waiting for her turn to speak rather than fully listening, and will talk about her own story and position herself as an ‘expert’ more than I feel is fair to her guests. Most of us are guilty of this, and it’s absolutely normal, however to hear it week after week can sometimes be difficult.
It feels cruel to offer such criticism, but I only do so because I think this podcast is important and would like to see it go from strength to strength.
2022-06-21
True Reality
Real life and death, the meaning within and around relationships and coping after death. Thought provoking and provides evidence that you are not alone in your angst and pain... well done Cariad ! Five Star....
2022-06-16
Great podcast
This is such a great podcast thank you. My dad died 6 months ago and I enjoy listening to an episode of your podcast. It makes me feel like i am not alone and helps me remember my Dad fondly. This podcast also makes me laugh out loud and that’s ok. Thank you for your help. X
2022-06-06
Thank you is not enough
Thank you for literally getting me through the worst weeks and months of my life after my mum died and genuinely making me feel that I’m not alone. Please carry on the good work you do and thank you for making me smile and laugh through the tears xx
2022-05-19
Very comforting
There’s not many spaces to explore grief and feel amongst people who understand. I lost my mum and dad 2 years apart and it’s been brutal. So this really feels a comforting space where you can laugh and cry all at the same time
2022-05-18
A lifeline
Greifcast has been a huge comfort to me since losing my 7year old son Jared in October last year.
Thank you Cariad! Please don’t stop 💙
2022-05-13
The greatest and most comforting show
I love it so much!!!
2022-05-01
Nourishing
This show is so nourishing. Love it!
2022-01-22
Good for the soul
I have been listening to Griefcast on and off for 4 years after I lost my mum. I listened a lot at first because I found it comforting to listen to people talking openly about death and grief, conversations that people never really want to have but when you are grieving it’s all you want to talk about.
I don’t always listen so much now because sometimes I want to forget my grief a little but the podcast is always here for me when I need it. Thank you
2022-01-13
❤️
You are not alone. Those four words at the end of every episode get me every time I listen. This podcast has helped and continues to help me through the journey that is grief. I’ve laughed I’ve cried. Thank you Cariad and guests. ❤️
2022-01-06
Thank you
This podcast gives me someone to talk to when I feel like no one understands. I’m in my early twenties so not a lot of friends have lost parents like I have. It gives me the confidence and language to explore my grief and feel more comfortable living with it. Thank you.
2021-12-20
Just so helpful and supportive
This podcast has been everything to me these last months. A defined space to think and grieve, like spending time with an old friend, and also a way to spend time in grief without being totally consumed by it. That person sobbing in the gym was me, listening to this. Thank you for making me feel like I’m not alone. Really so grateful for this Cariad
2021-12-20
My favourite podcast
This podcast has been therapy for me. I’ve listened ever since my dad was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in early 2019
I found it through another podcast - You, Me & the Big C. Someone on an episode mentioned Cariad’s Griefcast. Had to psych myself up a bit to start listening but I’m so glad I did.
The early episodes are all comedians, so even though the subject matter is bleak, they managed to make me laugh out loud every episode. Which was just what I needed.
Cariad - I don’t know where I’d be without this podcast. I can’t thank you enough. And I recommend it to everyone. Love, Natalie @ElvinWrites
2021-12-20
Love this podcast
What an amazing, beautiful thing , to be able to share and talk about death, and the loss of loved ones . This podcast is my favourite ❤️Humbles me to other people’s losses. I volunteer for Cruse bereavement and talk about this podcast to all who I offer support to. ❤️
2021-12-19
Compassionate, reflective and uplifting
Don’t be put off by the topic- it’s obviously sad but there’s plenty of positives too. The honest and good humoured reflections of the guests, and the calm, empathetic and huge compassion of the host makes this an uplifting listen, giving listeners plenty to think about and above all, hope. It also gives permission to laugh at or (at least acknowledge) the absurdity and random quirks we remember when we’re talking about life and death. Griefcast is a safe and even fun space to reflect on all of this. Take home message- you are not alone!
2021-12-19
A beautiful gem. I like to come back to it.
A really beautiful podcast. Cariad is so lovely to listen to, so caring. Sometimes I feel like I’m really there in the conversation, like I have a friend in her who cares. I’m so happy that this exists. I feel supported and heard even though I’m not the one speaking. The strength Cariad has to do these conversations is incredible, and she’s so amazing at it, listening to this makes me wish I could talk to her about it all too.
But I will also say - it can be difficult to listen to. I usually end up dipping in and out. It makes me feel too sad to really embrace my feelings about everything that’s happened. I started listening to this podcast almost immediately after the latest in a series of traumatic bereavements and I found it so comforting at first, I devoured as much as I could. But then I started finding it hard to listen to - I was at the stage in my grief where I was jealous and even angry of people who got more time with their parent, friend, etc than I did. So I had to step away from this podcast for a while before I could come back. I suppose I’m saying this just as a heads-up to listeners who may be fresh on their journey - it can be difficult. Everything is discussed very frankly and openly, which can make things feel very raw.
2021-12-18
Thank you x
Hi 🙂 I have listened to your podcast for a while now…you keep me company on my dog walk or ploughing through the ironing. The mundane stuff. I love it. The variety of guests, the chats, the whole thing. It really resonates with my heart.
I lost my Dad to cancer in 2012 and he was my best friend. He was an amazing man and I love hearing about your guests amazing people too.
I’ve just listened to Jimmy Carr’s episode and found it profoundly moving and it really did sing to me.
And he’s right, you have made a truly beautiful space for people to come and chat about people they loved so much, when they may not normally be able to. So thank you 💛
Much love, Kat x
PS Yessssss to a Griefcast Spotify playlist please 🥰 Completely agree on the Ed Sheeran songs, and mine would be ‘Meet you at the Moon’ that the Military Wives sang around the time I was elbow deep in grief xxx
2021-12-09
Tender and sensitive
Amazing tender sad but extremely helpful podcast. Such a help to me, as also in the club with you. Can’t thank you enough xx
2021-12-03
Hope
This podcast has not just boosted my strength and emotional bandwidth to continue living after my nephews death in February this year. It has also empowered me to stand up for myself and support my brother, his wife and daughter now living on without Cyrille. I am a bit lost for words to describe how important this space here is for me, where l get to come on my own to get nurtured. Thank you everyone for sharing your wisdom and silliness, tears and laughter - the human condition.. thank you from the bottom of my heart xx
2021-11-30
You are not alone
Thank you/diolch Cariad for getting me through the last 12 months. I lost both my parents within 7 weeks during the last lockdown December 2020 and Jan 2021. Your podcast has been so honest and helpful and helped me to understand the emotions I am going through. Thanks for being so honest and presenting with compassion.
2021-11-05
Kristoffer Hughes
Amazing episode!! Particularly loved Kristoffer’s view on people at funerals who say they don’t know if they’ll cope….he offers a simple solution, “just don’t” what a great way to let go and just feel your grief and deal with your emotions
2021-10-22
The Club you never want to Join!
I had listened to this before I Joined the Club. I joined the club this year, and I’m glad that the thoughts and feelings that I’m going through aren’t that strange?!! I just want to add how moving Arlene Phillips episode was, I lost 2 people to covid last year and I was struck by how similar our experiences were. I’m so glad that I’d discovered this podcast before the surreal madness happened!
Thanks so much. x
2021-10-18
In the Beginning….
The first podcast helpful and with zany humour. TY
2021-10-13
Juat brilliant
I love, love Griefcast, having lost my mum suddenly on her birthday last year, just before Christmas I didn’t quite know what to do or how to manage; a couple of months in, my good friend Lorna mentioned the podcast to me.I found it enormously comforting to hear about others experiences of grief and felt reassured that some experiences and feelings were similar to my own.Initially I obsessively searched for the conversations involving ‘sudden death’ or ‘mother’s death’ but then realised that wasn’t neccessary, they all gave me comfort and hope, often with accompanying tears and helped me cope with grief. Cariad’s easy conversationsl rapport makes it feel like I’m there and part of the chat and part of the club, I know I’m not alone, thank you!A valuable podcast that everyone should know about as grief comes to us all.
Nia
2021-10-13
One of the best podcasts around, fascinating and helpful
Not only about death, this podcast provides the chance to learn about the guest’s life and relationships. I come away from each one feeling I’ve discovered a new person. Guests are very open, and Cariad helps them to share their experiences and offer comfort and griefster tips to the listener. I’ve been listening for ages and learn something new every time. Seriously, it’s one of the most interesting and soothing podcasts out there. You are not alone.
2021-10-12
Compassionate and informative
Have really enjoyed following your podcasts, have learnt a lot about grief and it’s stages and think it has made more empathic. Keep up the good work! Loved the Guvna B interview and Jill Halfpenny’s was heartbreaking but inspiring! Alan Davies was unexpectedly open about his loss. Really enjoyed it.
2021-10-06
That could’ve been longer..
Just listened to the Alan Davies episode and I absolutely loved it. It could’ve been 4 hours longer and I’ve had listened to it all. Walking through a lifetime of events of life and grief felt so relatable and remarkably soothing, as it’s just real life, marking the incredible people who we’ve met and who have shaped us but are no longer around us is something that is really special. Thank you for sharing!
2021-10-05
You don’t have to have lost someone
At the time of starting to listen to Griefcast, I hadn’t lost anyone; it was out of morbid curiosity that I took the plunge. It was funny and wildly interesting amongst the seriousness of listening to a person who had lost someone important. Since then I lost my nana and the podcast took on new meanings now that I started to relate. Couldn’t recommend the podcast more to anyone who has or hasn’t lost someone. Hearing about the process of death and grief isn’t just for people who have already lost someone mainly because it will happen at some point (not to be a downer).
2021-09-05
Thank you from the bottom of my heart
My husband died of Covid in January 2021, leaving me and my two children. This podcast has been part of my battle to survive and a foundation stone to my weeks. It’s allowed me to see it from my perspective and that of my 12 year old and twenty something. Thank you so much and god bless xx
2021-08-14
Thank God for this podcast!
My dad died very suddenly 8 months ago of a massive heart attack. I’ve totally indulged into this podcast and it’s helped me to realise I am not alone. Thank you Cariad!
2021-07-28
Next series
Would be great to see some covid stories captured - am sure they’re in the works but having experienced it myself, have been looking for relatable stories in the aftermath of it all. All in good time I’m sure. Appreciated lots of this last series
2021-07-24
Getting in the hole.
Yesterday was my Fathers funeral, after a 10 month battle with Glioblastoma. This came a couple years of my Mum. (63 and 59 respectively) this series has been a huge comfort to me and I hope that people listen not only find to that comfort but also to learn to help support people. Especially when we need someone to get in to the hole with us and not try to get us out.
2021-07-22
Given me the confidence to talk about my grief
I love Griefcast so much. It’s such an open and honest conversation about loss, which many interesting stories from brilliant guests.
This podcast has given me more confidence to talk about my grief - thank you!
2021-07-19
My fav podcast
I love Griefcast, so much. I often feel like an intruder because I’m not really “in the club”, so to speak, but I just find it so cathartic, honest and interesting. I also think it’s helping me as I come to terms with having parents who are in poor health. Cariad is a total ledge and there have been some wonderful guests this series. Thank you xx
2021-07-11
Grief Cast
Continues to be an excellent source of information and support. You will laugh and you will cry. Outstanding guests and thanks to the presenter Cariad for the committment to the show and being brave enough to sit with those sharing their bereavements. All human life is captured in this podcast. Very moving but the humour helps!
2021-07-08
Feels like therapy
I have never suffered a big grief but my mother has battled addiction throughout my whole life, so I have a lot of death anxiety and think about it happening to her at any moment. This anxiety seeps into me worrying about the death of all those close to me, including my children. This podcast has helped give me so much perspective, not just about death, but about all of life’s adversities and joys. I have listened to every episode and recommend to everyone I know! Thank you Cariad.
