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Join The Cast Winner Announced

We are delighted to announce that we have a winner for our Join The Cast Competition. Join The Cast started back in October of 2023. We had over 100 submissions who submitted a 3-minute audio or video clip pitching their podcast idea. The entries were judged by a selection of big names in the podcast game, including Tony Cantwell (Tony Cantwell’s Hit Show), Naomi O’Leary (Irish Passport Podcast), and Gearoid Farrelly (Agony Rants), among others.

First Place: ‘Threads’

‘Threads’ hosted by Danielle Olavario is the winner of our first prize. Olavario’s show will ‘explore the intimate connections between people and their clothing.’ Each episode will feature engaging conversations with a diverse range of guests and aims to revive a sense of appreciation for our garments. 

You can now look forward to threads joining the HeadStuff Podcast Network. The show has won an incredible €50,000 in production and marketing. This includes full production at The Podcast Studios, guidance from HeadStuff, and a full marketing campaign to launch the show. 

‘I’m so excited to start working with HeadStuff on this project – and learning from the best in the business. I genuinely believe that we can trace the stories of our lives through clothes. The prevalence of fast fashion has made people wear things once and forget about them. But I think in doing that, we miss out on something special. This is what I’m so excited to do with Threads. It’s all about bringing back the magic to our clothes and showing how they’re more than just fabric – they’re part of our journey. The competition process has already been so rewarding, and I’ve already connected with some of my fellow finalists. I want to thank the people who voted and made this possible for me – especially my family. I can’t wait to get started!’ – Danielle Olavario

You can still listen to the full pilot of ‘Threads’ here

Second Place: 

‘The Junior B Things Podcast’ hosted by James Mc Dowell came in at second place, winning the Deluxe Podcaster Package. The package includes a 1-hour consultation with our experts, 3 hours of recording in our premium studio, 3 hours of editing, and music supplied for the trailer and episode. 

There are 100s of GAA podcasts, all of which look at analysing the big games. The Junior B Things Podcast has no interest in that. At its heart GAA is about the people within the community; everyday people that everyone in the club knows something about. This is a show about those people. 

You can listen to the full pilot of ‘The Junior B Things Podcast’ here

Third Place: 

Last but not least, ‘Freaks’ hosted by Sophie Hearne won the Podcaster Starter Package. This includes a 30-minute consultation with our experts, 1 hour of recording in the studio, and 1 hour of editing. 

As an anthropologist Sophie is mad about all things human! We’re rather unique compared to the rest of the animal kingdom; we manufacture and keep pets, we cry when we’re sad, we document, and we choose not to walk around in the nip, we’re complete freaks of nature considering no other animal does any of the above! FREAKS is going to delve into all the weird and wonderful things us human beings do that no other animal does.

You can listen to the full pilot of ‘Freaks’ here

‘Join The Cast’ votes are now open!

We have officially come to the final stage in the HeadStuff ‘Join The Cast’ competition. This means that you can have your say on which podcast should be crowned the ‘Join The Cast’ 2024 winner. The winner will have a full season produced here at HeadStuff Podcasts for you to enjoy.

The successful podcast will be awarded €50,000 in production and marketing. This includes full podcast production at The Podcast Studios, a marketing campaign to launch the show, and guidance from our amazing team.

To vote, you must simply listen to each trailer and/or pilot produced for our 5 finalists:

FREAKS by Sophie Hearne

As an anthropologist Sophie is mad about all things human! We’re rather unique compared to the rest of the animal kingdom; we manufacture and keep pets, we cry when we’re sad, we document, and we choose not to walk around in the nip, we’re complete freaks of nature considering no other animal does any of the above! FREAKS is going to delve into all the weird and wonderful things us human beings do that no other animal does.

The Junior B Things Podcast by James McDowell

There are 100s of GAA podcasts, all of which look at analysing the big games. The Junior B Things Podcast has no interest in that. At its heart GAA is about the people within the community; everyday people that everyone in the club knows something about. This is a show about those people. 

Scanrach by Cherise Hanvey and Kori Schagunn

Cherise Hanvey is a paranormal investigator with over 15 years experience. She has travelled around Ireland visiting Ireland’s most haunted places. Kori Schagunn is a comedian and improviser who has a keen interest in the paranormal but doesn’t know the first thing about it. Join Scanrach as they visit, discuss, and investigate Ireland’s most haunted places and spooky folklore. 

Threads by Danielle Olavario

Through engaging conversations with a diverse range of guests, Stitches will explore the intimate connections between people and their clothing. By highlighting these personal stories, the podcast aims to revive a sense of appreciation for our garments, urging listeners to view them not as mere commodities but as tangible records of the human experience.

Who’s in a Name by Ben Butler

Our name is the thing that is most unique to us. It is how we are branded at birth, and it is our interface with the world. In this podcast, we’ll cover the phenomena of naming people, places and things.


To vote visit click here and give each trailer a star rating. And if you would like to listen to a full pilot just search ‘Join The Cast’ on your podcast platform of choice!

HeadStuff Podcasts Launch Join The Cast Podcast Competition

HeadStuff, Ireland’s premiere podcast network, has announced a new competition to find Ireland’s next big podcast, offering a prize worth up to €50k in production costs.

Join The Cast is a free and open competition where entrants submit a 3-minute audio or video clip pitching their podcast idea. Entries will be judged by a selection of big names in the podcast game, including Tony Cantwell (Tony Cantwell’s Hit Show), Naomi O’Leary (Irish Passport Podcast) and Gearoid Farrelly (Agony Rants), among others. The top pitchers will be revealed in the New Year and will get the chance to record a pilot episode of their show in HeadStuff’s state-of-the-art facilities, The Podcast Studios off Pearse Street. 

These winning pilot episodes will all be broadcast together on HeadStuff’s channels, with the public voting on an eventual winner, who will be rewarded with a full season of their own – with all production costs paid for! This includes studio time and an accompanying marketing campaign. 

“I have no doubt that there is loads of podcasting talent out there just waiting to be discovered. We’re hoping this competition will bring some of the best and brightest to our attention, and we’ll be able to help them reach their potential and make a great podcast.”

– Alan Bennett – CEO HeadStuff & The Podcast Studios 

The deadline for pitches is the 19th of November. For anyone looking to find out more, you can visit Jointhecast.ie or any of HeadStuff’s social pages on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.