The Coldest Shift – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Coldest Shift

Hat Trick Podcasts

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/13d. Total Eps: 9

Top 20 podcast of 2025 - 'The Atlantic'

Start with Episode 1. Complete series out now.

In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, only one continent remained Covid free - Antarctica. And it was the job of the British Antarctic Survey, and Dr. Rachel Varnam, to keep it that way.

'The Coldest Shift' follows Dr. Rachel Varnam, the ships Doctor on board the Royal Research Ship James Clarke Ross on her final voyage to the Antarctic before being replaced by the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

This series casts a unique ear on the oft-unseen realities of Antarctic medicine and life at sea on an polar vessel: from the engineers who deal with rodents to prevent environmental contamination to the electricians maintaining the systems that predict space weather to keep the satellites above us flying. And of course, the scientists aboard the ship that has found multiple new species and undersea volcanoes as well as supporting research essential to humanity’s survival.

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http://www.sessions.blue
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https://www.bas.ac.uk/
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Score global : 58%

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8: King Edward Point

Season 1 · Episode 8

Sunday, February 8, 2026 • Duration 01:20:15

In the final episode - Rachel finds herself unexpectedly the G.P. to one of the most beautiful places in the world with only penguins, and multitudes of seals (and a small team) for company.

As the pandemic's days seem numbered we learn about day to day life on South Georgia for its human and wildlife populations. Life, death and cooking.

Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan (who went above and beyond to make sure you heard this series).

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

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Music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue

'Goodbye Fare Ye Well' by Gibb Schreffler and the Claremont Colleges Chanty Singers and 'The Windlass Project' used under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (international): creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
© 2022 by Gibb Schreffler (Dept. of Music, Pomona College)

Original Material - https://soundcloud.com/gibb-schreffler/goodbye-fare-ye-well
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Excerpt from Boris Johnson's statement to the nation, used under the Open Government Licence - https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Original statement - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-10-february-2021

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With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

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Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
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‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

A huge thank you for everyone who has made 'The Coldest Shift' possible.

Thank you for listening.

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7: Vernadsky

Season 1 · Episode 7

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • Duration 35:57

Covid-19 finally reaches Antarctica.

But with British Antarctic Survey bases safe and isolated the crew of the Rachel and the crew of the James Clark Ross can ring in the New Year together.

Not only that they can bring relief to others stranded and isolated in some of the most remote places in the world.

But not everything goes to plan for Rachel.

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---

All music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue
---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

Learn more about the National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine and their work at Akademik Vernadsky Station at http://uac.gov.ua/en/about-en/

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Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
---

‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

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6: Icebreaker

Season 1 · Episode 6

Friday, December 19, 2025 • Duration 01:03:56

Island Hopping closer to their final destination, Rachel and the crew visit Bird Island, Deception Island, travel through stunning channels and bash through sea ice before Glaciated mountains tower above us.

Of course all this is shot through with Secret Santa plans and emergency crafting with medical items from the onboard hospital before we celebrate Christmas in the most remote region of the world.

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

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All music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue
---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

Or learn more about the history of the British Antarctic Survey - https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/about-bas/history/history-of-bas/

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Excerpts from Boris Johnson’s Statement used under the Open Government Licence - https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
---

‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

5: We're Very Nearly There

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 • Duration 32:56

Rachel and the crew of the RRS. James Clark Ross cross the antarctic convergence and the ship celebrates her (are all ships 'she's?) 30th birthday, and at last Rachel sees mountains looming on the horizon.

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---

All music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue
---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

---
Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
---

‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

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4: Crossing the Line

Season 1 · Episode 4

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 • Duration 26:50

How do you beg to King Neptune for leniency?

As the J.C.R. crosses the equator on its final voyage down south old sea faring traditions take hold. We meet Mandy, the Third engineer about the J.C.R. who teaches us more about how the ship works below decks. And Rachel adds another meteorological string to her bow and yet another responsibility on her shoulders!

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---

All music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue
---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

---
Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
---

‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

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3: The J.C.R.

Season 1 · Episode 3

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 • Duration 31:24

Can you cure sea sickness with a potato?

The James Clark Ross begins her final voyage. With all of the staff having to travel by ship Rachel is thrown into the world of the scientists going down south, or FIDS (The Falkland Island Dependents) and the ship's crew.

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---

All music blue dot sessions - www.sessions.blue
---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

---
Image credit - Rachel Varnam.
---

‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

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2: Quarantine

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 28:06

Having bid farewell to her family Rachel begins her role making sure Antarctica and the isolated teams down south can remain safe and Covid free in quarantine.

While there she finds out more about the incredible history of Polar Medicine, from unlikely drugs, to operating on your own body, and the exceptional work Polar science has done for our world.

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---

With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.

Learn more about their crucial work at www.bas.ac.uk

--

With thanks to Falkland Island Television for their kind permission to use a section of their report on the JCR – Visit them at www.fitv.co.fk

Thanks to Arone Dyer for organizing the use of her Dronechoir in this podcast, and to PEOPLE Festival and Michelberger Music for enabling its documentation. Thanks as well to Brassland Projects / Duchamp Inc for encouraging the use of the piece. For more information visit aronedyer.com, brassland.org, and . All additional music blue dot sessions - Today Programme Audio – credit - BBC Radio 4, presented by Nick Robinson and Martha Kearney - 5th November 2020. Image credit - Rachel Varnam.--- ‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

1: The Job

Season 1 · Episode 1

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 24:10

What does is take to be a Polar medic?

When Dr. Rachel Varnam asked her boss in A & E where her colleague had vanished to, she didn’t expect to be told ‘The Antarctic’. From that moment she knew she had to do the same.

Working for BASMU as ship’s doctor onboard the British Antarctic Survey’s research ship ‘The James Clarke Ross’ her dream comes true.

Yet, its 2020 and with the world in the grips of the Covid 19 Pandemic the voyage takes on a new historic dimension to resupply and reenable the essential research of the BAS on the last continent free of the virus...

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Presented by Dr. Rachel Varnam and Dr. Jenna Plank.

The series is produced by Rachel Varnam and John Wakefield.

The Executive Producers are Claire Broughton and Laura Varnam.

The Studio Engineer was Alex O’Donovan.

Follow Rachel’s adventure on Instagram @coldestshiftpod

---
Thanks to Arone Dyer for organizing the use of her Dronechoir in this podcast, and to PEOPLE Festival and Michelberger Music for enabling its documentation. Thanks as well to Brassland Projects / Duchamp Inc for encouraging the use of the piece. For more information visit aronedyer.com, brassland.org, and michelbergermusic.com. All additional music blue dot sessions - ---With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey and the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit. Learn more about their crucial work at Or learn more about the history of the British Antarctic Survey - --- Excerpts from Boris Johnson’s Statement And Rishi Sunak’s Statement on Covid Figures Both used under the Open Government Licence - Extract from Justin Rowlatt’s BBC piece on the paused work of the British Antarctic Survey used with permission – Follow his reporting at: Image credit - Rachel Varnam.--- ‘The Coldest Shift’ is a Hat Trick Podcast.

Teaser Trailer - Sails 5th November 2025

Monday, October 27, 2025 • Duration 00:50

In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, only one continent remained Covid free - Antarctica. And it was the job of the British Antarctic Survey, and Dr. Rachel Varnam, to keep it that way.

Determined to restart their essential scientific work, and relieve their isolated staff south of the line, for the first time in decades the Royal Research Ship James Clarke Ross sailed the whole dramatic voyage from the UK to Antarctica with a full team. This would also be her final voyage before retirement and being replaced by the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

'The Coldest Shift’ follows the events as they transpired, 5 years ago to the week, as Rachel takes us through how she must be her patient's dentist, radiographer, triage nurse and more, all while being incredibly far from their support team back home. She is in effect a singlehanded emergency medical team.

This series casts a unique ear on the oft-unseen realities of Antarctic medicine and life at sea on an polar vessel: from the engineers who deal with rodents to prevent environmental contamination to the electricians maintaining the systems that predict space weather to keep the satellites above us safe. And of course, the scientists aboard the ship that has found multiple new species and undersea volcanoes as well as supporting research essential to humanity’s survival.

Follow Rachel as she brings you an uplifting female led series documenting this final voyage of the Royal Research Ship James Clarke Ross.

Launches 5th Nov with Episodes 1+2 with a fortnightly release thereafter.

'The Coldest Shift' is a Hat Trick Podcast

Find out more about the British Antarctic Survey at www.bas.ac.uk

Image credit - Rachel Varnam.

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The Coldest Shift – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Coldest Shift – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other12

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

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