Independent podcast network, Mercury has launched the second season of the award-nominated podcast Second Helpings.
The latest series has a refreshed format that places mental health and recovery at the centre of its cultural analysis. It shifts deeper into long-form discussion, with each episode offering a detailed exploration of a single work of art or pop culture through a recovery framework.
Mercury will oversee advertising sales and distribution for the series as it moves into its next phase.
Second Helpings is hosted by Alice and Maria, who combine lived experience and clinical knowledge to explore how creative works reflect issues surrounding mental health, depression, and eating disorders.
The approach is designed to challenge what the hosts describe as the often “vicious” or “hypercritical” tone of cultural commentary, replacing it with analysis rooted in understanding, care, and recovery.
Season two opens with a deep dive into Taylor Swift’s song The Fate of Ophelia. The episode examines how Swift’s recent work reflects what the hosts describe as a more healed and grounded phase of her career, reframing themes of melancholy and tragedy into something closer to fulfilment and emotional growth.
Alongside the personal reading of the song, the discussion also unpacks its lyricism and literary references, including allusions to Hamlet.
The new season expands the scope of the podcast beyond music to cover film, television, and literature.
Future episodes will look at a wide range of titles including Black Swan, Normal People, Beyoncé’s Lemonade, The Virgin Suicides, and Call Me By Your Name, continuing the show’s focus on how popular culture can reflect real emotional and psychological experiences.
By revisiting familiar and critically acclaimed works through this different perspective, the series will encourage more open conversations about mental health while highlighting how art can offer insight, recognition, and even guidance for those navigating recovery.
The partnership with Mercury marks a significant step for the podcast as it looks to reach a wider audience through expanded distribution and advertising support, while maintaining the intimate and reflective style that defined its first season.
Season two of Second Helpings is available from today on all podcast platforms, with new episodes scheduled every two weeks.
