2025 was, without a doubt, the best year ever for Expresso podcasts. Between January 1st and December 9th, we had more than 24 million downloads under the Expresso brand alone, a historic milestone that confirms the strength of audio in Information. To celebrate this achievement, we found out which episodes won over listeners throughout the year and followed a simple rule: not repeating the same podcast. Here are the top 10 most listened to episodes, each representing a different podcast from the newspaper.
1st Broadcasting Station, the Blitz podcast 🏆
Toy
Rita Carmo
Toy: “They made a doll of me in Counter-Information, Macacóy. My father asked them to put an end to that rubbish because I wasn’t an animal”
Toy is the protagonist of the most listened to episode of 2025 on Expresso podcasts, with around 317 thousand downloads. At Posto Emissor, the Portuguese musician opens his trunk: memories of his childhood in Setúbal and his debut at the age of 5, his life as an emigrant in Germany and the songs that made him an idol inside and outside Portugal. A frank conversation, with causes that move him, such as Palestine. Charisma, stories and music in a register with its own brand, on the Blitz music podcast.
2nd The Beauty of Small Things
Nuno Fox
João Manzarra: “When I reached the mountain of success, I became afraid of death, I became disillusioned, I questioned myself, I walked away. Now I value bringing joy to people on TV”
With around 160 thousand downloads, João Manzarra occupies 2nd position in the top most listened to podcasts of 2025. In A Beleza das Pequenas Pequenas, the presenter reflects on the “mountain of success”, the disappointment that drove him away and the new way of seeing life. Between confessions and learnings, he shares the reasons why today he values bringing joy to people on television. A long conversation with journalist Bernardo Mendonça, in what is the first original newspaper podcast in Portugal and which this year celebrates a decade of existence.
3rd The CEO is the Limit
José Fonseca Fernandes
Frederico Magalhães, CEO of Sisqual: “We have fantastic people who are terrible leaders. They are lone wolves”
With 156 thousand downloads, this episode occupies 3rd position in the top most listened to podcasts of 2025 on Expresso. In O CEO é o Limite, Expresso’s leadership and career podcast, Frederico Magalhães, founder and CEO of SISQUAL, revisits a journey made up of difficult decisions, falls and new beginnings: from the mission of returning to Mozambique to recover his father’s factory to the various lessons he learned about leadership. An interview with journalist Cátia Mateus, for those who want to hear the topic of management told in the first person.
4º The Heart and Hustle of Portugal
TIAGO MIRANDA
Mariana van Zeller: “It was incredible to win five Emmys. That night was crazy and, when Portugal woke up, I received thousands of messages”
With more than 145 thousand downloads, this episode occupies the 4th position in Expresso’s top most listened to podcasts in 2025. In The Heart and Hustle of Portugal, award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller recalls a moment of pure adrenaline: she was about to interview El Chapo when she received a call and was told: “you have 10 minutes to leave”. Sean Penn ended up with the interview. One of the many conversations with Tony Gonçalves, in what is Expresso’s first podcast in English.
5th Humor at First Sight
Nuno Fox
Fernando Rocha: “I’m very grateful to the emigrant people, when they like an artist it lasts until the end of their lives. I’ve made people laugh in Portuguese on 5 continents, I’m one of them”
With 109 thousand downloads, Gustavo Carvalho’s interview with Fernando Rocha reaches 5th position in the top of Expresso’s most listened to podcasts in 2025. In the Humor à Primeira Vista podcast, the master of jokes opens his heart about the ups and downs of his career: when there was a lack of work on television and radio, it was the emigrants who never turned their backs on him and today he thanks them for their support. A fun conversation, which reveals the charisma of one of Portugal’s most popular comedians.
6º O Tal Podcast
TOMAS ALMEIDA
“The world needs more patience”: at 12 years old, Francisco Borges talks about social justice, children’s rights and the power of reading
With 105 thousand listens, this episode is included in the top 10 of Expresso’s most popular podcasts in 2025, occupying sixth position. In O Tal Podcast, Francisco Borges, just 12 years old, surprises when he addresses topics such as social justice, children’s rights and the power of reading to transform lives. He is a young man without a cell phone and capable of a conversation that challenges prejudices and shows how the vision of new generations can inspire profound changes. A special episode by Paula Cardoso and Georgina Angélica on World Children’s Day.
7th Asking Does Not Offend
José Fonseca Fernandes
Is there ethics in humor? Can you play with everything? Bruno Nogueira, comedian and actor, responds to Daniel Oliveira
Bruno Nogueira is the protagonist of the 7th most listened to episode of 2025 on Expresso podcasts, with around 102 thousand downloads. In Ask Doesn’t Offend, the comedian and actor talks to Daniel Oliveira about the role of humor beyond laughter: reflection, criticism and freedom. A long and intelligent interview, which reveals the vision of someone who makes you laugh and think at the same time.
8th Miguel Sousa Tavares from Viva Voz
José Fonseca Fernandes
“When I hear Pedro Nuno Santos boasting that he made CP money, I want to pull out my pistol”
With 79 thousand downloads, this episode guarantees eighth place in the top 10 of Expresso’s most listened to podcasts in 2025. In the podcast signed as Miguel Sousa Tavares de Viva Voz, the writer and political commentator speaks without filters about governance, railways and controversies that marked current affairs in 2025. An incisive analysis conducted by Paula Santos, which reveals strong opinions that leave no one indifferent.
9th Memories of Francisco Pinto Balsemão
Tiago Pereira Santos
Francisco Pinto Balsemão’s childhood: closed, challenging, golden, demanding. Listen to the first episode of the podcast ‘Memories’ here
With more than 78 thousand downloads, this episode occupies ninth position in the top 10 most listened to episodes of Expresso in 2025. In Memórias de Francisco Pinto Balsemão, the founder of Expresso revisits his “closed, challenging, golden and demanding” childhood, in an intimate account that paves the way for a unique series about life, power and history in Portugal. An inaugural episode that reveals the origins of one of the central figures of Portuguese democracy. And it never hurts to remember that ‘Memories of Francisco Pinto Balsemão’ was a pioneering experience in the use of cloning the author’s voice by Artificial Intelligence.
10th It Was a Voice
Illustration by Tiago Pereira Santos, with photography by Matilde Fieschi
“I don’t do so many dubs anymore because I have to live. When I dubbed Son Goku it was fair. Today, it’s a trifle”
Henrique Feist closes the top 10 of the most listened to episodes of Expresso in 2025. In Era Uma Voz, the legendary voice doubler who gave life to iconic characters (such as Son Goku) reveals the behind-the-scenes of his profession, the current challenges and the passion that keeps him connected to the world of animation. A conversation full of stories that will captivate any dubbing fan.
José Fonseca Fernandes
Expresso offers the most complete and diverse catalog of podcasts in Portugal, covering topics ranging from politics to culture, from economics to humor. In this link you will find all the audio projects, which feature interviews, analyzes and in-depth conversations with national and international protagonists – an offer designed to inform and inspire, available anywhere and at any time, on Expresso, SIC and SIC Notícias, and on any podcast platform of your choice.