Brand’s strange journey from darling of the left to cancelled crank makes for an informed podcast, while a power imbalance impairs rock groupies’ tales. Plus, writer Katherine Rundell on the power of children’s fiction

Origin Story: Russell Brand – Confidence Man (Podmasters)
Lost Notes: Groupies: Women of the Sunset Strip from the Pill to Punk (KCRW)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder (Radio 4) | BBC Sounds

Origin Story, a podcast about understanding politics (topics covered: centrism, George Orwell, No 10, among others), has just launched its sixth series. The opening episode is a 90-minute show on that renowned political powerhouse Russell Brand. Which may seem odd, but hosts Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey use Brand in a way, you could argue, that Brand has used others: as a means of getting somewhere. They look at his slide from darling of the left into gesticulating, never-off, “just asking questions” internet charlatan, and draw conclusions about why politics (big politics, presidential politics) has ended up splashing about with the conspiracy theorists.