by Alex J. Coyne © Great Bridge Links
Podcasts have become one of the most popular entertainment formats. If you could mention a subject, you could find a podcast about it – including true crime, comedy and bridge.
Sorry, Partner is one of the top-rated bridge podcasts according to its ratings – and certainly according to its listeners!
If you’re a bridge player or card enthusiast, you should add this to your playlist.
We connected with the podcast hosts Catherine Harris and Jocelyn Startz for an interview.
Here’s why the Sorry, Partner podcast should be playing next to your favourite album.
Here’s where to find your way to the Sorry, Partner podcast:
The Sorry, Partner podcast has proven to be very popular with listeners – and once you’ve checked out an episode or two, you’re going to enjoy their table discussions just as much.
Episodes feature lively and fascinating discussions with expert players. However, it’s not just about strategy – and if you’ve ever wanted to hear what really goes on behind the scenes at bridge games you should be tuning in.
One of their latest episodes features Irish bridge champion Ciaran Coyne. Other episodes featured players like Larry Cohen, Harriet Cork, Barry Rigal and Patty Tucker from Jump Start Bridge.
The description is a good introduction of what you might find:
“Each episode we interview expert players from around the globe, discussing anything and everything from top tips to the funniest thing that’s ever happened at a game. If you’re looking to take your bridge obsession to new heights (or lows), then welcome to the table.”
Listener reviews have had excellent things to say about the podcast, which has reignited bridge and audio in a modern format.
“I found Sorry Partner a few months ago and just can’t stop listening. If you are a bridge player then this is your podcast.” (SophieAshton)
“Sorry Partner came up and I’ve been listening to episodes every day since.” (KerriG)
It’s not just for bridge players, but might be what gets podcast listeners enjoying bridge!
The Sorry, Partner podcast has 158 episodes as of writing this. If you’re starting at episode one, there’s a lot more to enjoy.
Catherine Harris and Jocelyn Startz were first-time bridge partners, and later co-hosts of the Sorry, Partner bridge podcast. Catherine’s background in storytelling and audio mixed well with Jocelyn’s music and performance experience – and that’s one small part of how the greatest modern bridge podcast came to be.
“Alongside the laughter, we’ve also had serious, meaningful conversations — about gender equity, cheating scandals, the pros and cons of digital play, and how to inspire the next generation of bridge players. Those episodes remind us that bridge is not just a game, it’s a community.”
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We reached out to the podcast for an interview, and here’s what they had to say:
A: We’re actually each other’s first bridge partners.
We met years ago in San Francisco when we both happened to wander into the same bridge club, each looking to learn the game. The club manager introduced us, and we immediately clicked. We started taking lessons, playing duplicate, and generally became inseparable at the table. Even after we ended up living in different countries, we stayed in touch.
When the pandemic hit, we started playing online again and would have long, laughter-filled post-mortems over the phone. Catherine’s husband finally said, “You two should make a podcast,” and that’s how Sorry, Partner was born — out of friendship, shared obsession, and a lot of laughter.
A: Between us, we come from very different but complementary worlds. Catherine is a writer, audio producer, and academic whose card-playing habit began in high school with the game 500 — a craze that became so intense it was banned when students started skipping classes. She’s gone on to teach and write books.
Jocelyn is a lawyer and musician who plays viola with the San Francisco Philharmonic and has served on arts organization boards. She composed our show’s theme music. Before Sorry, Partner, we hadn’t made a bridge podcast, but Catherine had a background in storytelling and audio, and Jocelyn in music and performance. Together we found a natural rhythm that made the creative side feel intuitive.
Bridge players are naturally curious and analytical, but they also love a good story. Our goal is to make the show feel like the conversation you’d have at the club bar after a game — funny, warm, and full of those little moments of triumph or disaster that every player relates to. We try to balance expert insight with humor and humanity so the podcast appeals to everyone from seasoned champions to enthusiastic beginners.
At its heart, Sorry, Partner celebrates the people who make bridge so endlessly fascinating — their quirks, their passion, and their love for the game.
A lot more work than people imagine!
Each episode takes many hours to produce. We plan, research, book guests, record across multiple time zones, edit, write scripts, respond to email and and promote the show. Because we’re based in different hemispheres, at least one of us is usually up at dawn or working past midnight to fit in an interview.
It’s a true labor of love — part journalism, part production, and part friendship marathon. But when we hear from a listener who says an episode inspired them to pick up their cards again, it’s all worth it.
A: We’ve been incredibly lucky with our guests — players like Zia Mahmood, Susanna Gross, Bob Hamman, Jeff Meckstroth, Emma Kolesnik, and many more. Each brings their own mix of brilliance and personality.
One early episode sparked what we jokingly call the Oy Veh Convention — Catherine described bidding to game all on your own with a mediocre hand, and the next day a listener in South Africa wrote to say her partner actually asked if she was using it!
We also get amazing listener stories — like a pilot who wrote to say she was stopping over in Japan, and we put her in touch with former guest Akiko Yanagisawa (episode here), who played with her in a local tournament and even brought her a homemade lunch. That kind of global bridge connection is pure magic.
Alongside the laughter, we’ve also had serious, meaningful conversations — about gender equity, cheating scandals, the pros and cons of digital play, and how to inspire the next generation of bridge players. Those episodes remind us that bridge is not just a game, it’s a community.
A: We’re heading into our fifth year with even more exciting guests and themes. So if you’ve got a great story, email us or leave us a message. Our contact details are on our website at SorryPartner.com.
A: Sorry, Partner is really our love letter to the bridge world. We’re constantly inspired by how generous, funny, and passionate bridge players are all over the globe.
Our aim is to make people feel connected — to remind them why they fell in love with the game in the first place. Hearing from listeners who’ve rediscovered their enthusiasm for bridge because of the show is the best reward we could ask for.
We’re grateful every day for this community and for the chance to contribute something joyful to it!
