Such a great idea for a Podcast! Refreshing, one-of-a kind and the concept…EXTRAORDINARILY entertaining! Ben has a very friendly, genuine and personality! It is obvious why he has so many callers! His voice is soothing and comforting voice! Love every episode!

This is a great podcast. Very interesting. One of the few I’m following. Would definitely recommend. Some are drawn out a bit too much but some aren’t though.

I have subscribed twice and now have inscribed three times because Susie Lark is such a horrible host. Do jot subscribe if you want more of this podcast because you won’t get that.

Your show is slipping, accepting any stories now?

Ben is a great host and extremely empathetic. I enjoy the fact that these are stories from real people. Ben does a great job. I like his calm and caring approach to people who are sharing very deep and personal secrets.

I look forward to every episode. Ben does a great job hosting. I’m adding to my review years later to say the lady in episode #229 is one messed up and unaware of accountability. That was a crazy one. She needs some more therapy. The older brother only molested her a couple times and the younger brother abused her for years yet she wouldn’t confront him or have dinner with him. It’s not a healthy outcome. In 84 she should have been smart enough to leave David and Justin would still be alive.She is very messed up. Justin should never have been with her. What messed up people with no morales. I’m glad her son is not with her.

Are used to really love this podcast. And then, everything went subscriber only. It seems like he rarely throws us a bone used to be that way. Don’t have extra funds to subscribe. so, I guess I’ll just unfollow because it’s so frustrating.

Love this show but he’s started putting so many episodes behind the paywall & like most people I get tired of buying subscriptions.

Oy, vey! Ben, how in the world did you get through all that negativity?!! She’s the worst!!! Ugh. She labels EVERYONE in her family a narcissist…pot calling the kettle black. And oddly enough, she said she grew up with privilege but complained about her entire childhood NON-STOP! I’ll bet you needed at least a week off after that You’re a saint and a GREAT interviewer.

That woman was so impressive. I hope she does climb the ladder to the next position up, because she appears to be quite, intuitive, intelligent, and strong. She apparently knows her stuff!!! hanks for sharing your secret!

Can’t say enough about how excellent the host and show are. The one takeaway from listening to many, many episodes is that the majority of the secret holders have their secrets because they are timid and unwilling to face difficult situations, so they shy away from doing what they need to in order to resolve their issues. It’s quite frustrating but still, always a good listen. Especially Dad’s Texts… your dad has been steamrolling you your entire life and him and the harlot definitely had a role to play in your mother’s downward spiral and death. Stop kicking the can and say something, you have every right and you’ll feel better when everything’s all on the table. Episode 227 was terrible to listen to. The woman telling the story was evil and pathetic, and her justifications were disgusting and laughable. You sold yourself and fed other women to Rob, you are a bad person any way you slice it.

I’m obsessed with this show. Love the sweet host. But Dealership girl, and maybe I’m wrong, but it’s the first episode in all the yrs I couldn’t finish. She needs to own up to her bad choices. I have no doubt the dude was awful and had no business pursuing an affair with her. However, neither did she. You can’t always blame grooming and being dissociative as an excuse for your bad behavior. She chose to have an affair with a married man. That’s as far as I got due to her placing 99 percent blame on the man. Not fair. You’re an adult. Act like it. A real woman owns up to her mistakes.

This review is demeaning to everyone that has anything critical or intelligent to say. It is an interview with a woman who has a pet rat that is a genius compared to her. It would be a compliment to say that she has the iQ of a potato chip. This is not an interview, it is a complete waste of time and energy on something so trite, completely stupid and beyond boring that desperation would be the only reason to waste time and energy putting this garbage in a podcast. The one and only tiny tidbit of horrifying information that pops up at the end of this profoundly disturbing bundle of verbiage, is that this dull excuse for a human being accidentally revealed that she lead a life so depraved, drug ridden and beyond filthy that she got and spread the Bubonic Plague. Really funny - right? Any podcaster that promotes and supports this kind of vulgar, antisocial, reckless, medically dangerous behavior is a dimwitted pervert and a danger to us all. Would anyone call this entertaining? I think not, unless you’re a potato chip.

The host is so kind, empathetic and a great listener! My only complaint is I want more episodes!

Show Host provides great dialogue, however, after listening to Pang in my Heart I wonder how you’re finding material. The individual in that episode was the worst liar and made the least sense of anyone I’ve ever heard on a podcast. She ranted on and on about how her aunt was narcissist, but she needs to look in the mirror.

Nothing interesting here - don't waste your time.

I would like to leave a comment regarding episode #222, not sure how bc I’m unable to comment on episodes. I must be dumb, ugh I really have some info to perhaps help her guilt she is feeling. Anyway, I do appreciate the podcast. Absolutely will pass it on and keep listening! Thank You

I love listening to the show and the great stories, but I could do without that host’s personal opinions/judgements. I.e. if someone says they got away with a lot of things as a teenager, he doesn’t miss an opportunity to say how different things could have been if their skin was a different color. OR if some woman tells a story about a man coming on to her, he is quick to call it sexual assault. Host is extra sensitive and loves to man shame. Drives. me. Crazy. The stories are great though!

The stories are not that interesting to be this long. Need to edit them to make them shorter. When you read the descriptions they do lure you in but when you listen they are a let down. They drag on for too long. Wish they could be edited better to cut out the fluff. Also I don’t get the subscription format if you have ads.

This used to be the absolute best podcast. Ben is extremely talented and all around lovable person. But the show has sadly taken a nose dive. The stories have become long, drawn-out, mundane stories. The most recent one was about a woman who was in a “situationship” and then they broke up. Nothing else happened. So boring. Another one was a long drawn out story about a massage therapist who got a huge tip from a client. So what! I’m embarrassed that I recommend this podcast to a friend.

It pains me to write this because I really, really like Ben — but he deserves better than the immature, boring guests that volunteer to tell their “secrets.” Problem is, most of them aren’t secrets at all. This most recent season is just full of lame interviews about broken relationships and juvenile misadventures told by narrators who appear to have very little insight into their own stories. I really enjoyed the first few seasons, but poor casting has turned the show into an extremely frustrating listening experience.

Probably the worse episode…. Soooooooooo drawn out! Yawn 🥱

Very sad to listen to… it’s a manifesto of poor decisions perhaps just to keep a roof over the person’s head no matter whether scruples are compromised or not …. I could not finish listen to this episode. Usually 80% of the time episodes have an interesting or funny end. (????) Hole 14th best episode I’ve heard in a while.

POD ON BEN

Stories are very disappointing. I keep waiting for the exciting part of the secret and it never comes. It feels like a huge waste of time.

The first episodes were really interesting but lately, not so much. The episode with Jo was painfully and unnecessarily long. Not to mention, Jo was difficult to listen to. The secret was very underwhelming. Perhaps the host can search for individuals with more shocking/interesting secrets.

Just started listening to this podcast a few days and I’m absolutely addicted! I love the chemistry of the hosts and look forward to binging over the weekend! Unique, thought-provoking and funny! Keep up the great work! 👍👍👍

Some of the shows lately have been kind of lame. I’m looking at you Australian child psychic episode. I mean, what a boring “secret”.

Interesting and engaging, thank you!

What’s going on with the story selections. They used to be thoughtful and interesting. This latest episode was another pointless Jerry Springer show.

There have been some good episodes in the past, but the show has become full of cringy lowlifes with tales from the trailer park.

I found this podcast a few weeks ago after a suggestion from a friend. I have been binging every episode since then. Ben is a great host with a great variety of guests! Love it!!

It’s as if nearly everyone with a “secret” comes directly from central casting- the same world views, normative expectations and more often than not the same vocal fry and pattern of speaking. Like they all had the same cookie cutter lifestyle stamped indelibly on their personalities. The secrets revealed are seemingly soap opera sordid. Titillating events that small minded bullies love to use to keep score.The kind of things that nice church going middle class people would never do and definitely judge and shun those who did. More often than not the story ends with the person returning to their lives similar to how it was before- except they have this “secret” that they can hold onto as something that makes them “ special” as they continue on in conformity. The whole concept of “having a secret “ is based around shame, guilt and projection. While telling secrets about oneself is cathartic listening to the type secrets that routinely get people “cancelled” knowing that this person is “safe” while multiple others have their lives ruined for doing the same thing has this shallow flavor of ick.

At first episodes were a good listen. After initial binge giving a chick getting played and venting is no good. And giving “benevolent” drug dealers and users also no good. These losers are losers and maybe so is Ben. No stars Ben. Pick better secrets.

Some episodes are really interesting and funny and some are just too annoying and unbearable to listen to. I also feel like I wasted my money on unlocked because I don’t care too much for the host for the unlocked episodes. I loved the episode “His name was trouble” was such a cute story. But I could care less for the girl in the “escape from gilli t” and “kill bill”.

It was a little difficult listening to Charlee. She literally came across as taking no responsibility for her actions. Her lesson , don’t be too trusting instead of she made bad choices and threw kids in the mix. If there were a saving God he would of protected her from having not 1, not 2 but 3 kids. But I do like your podcast!

There have been great episodes, but it was incredibly disappointing to hear Ben laugh along with a guest who admits to extortion and concocting false allegations for petty revenge. It’s fine to let a guest dig their own grave, but you don’t need to join them in it. You can do (and have done) so much better. Regretfully unsubscribing.

I really enjoy this podcast 90% of the time. Some of the stories don’t connect for me, I prefer the deeper conversations, so I tend to skip the silly ones but it’s a great show.

Mars needs therapy and the revenge model is toxic.

really enjoying the podcast

I don’t even know where to begin with how awful this was. The person telling their story is SO obviously lying and I would be willing to bet has made up the majority, if not all, of the details. It’s extremely transparent that she concocted these strange (and super boring) escapades for whatever reason…to get on the show maybe? This is the type of person who gets off on catfishing. Not only is her story likely total fiction, but she is perpetuating the stereotype of the ignorant, privileged, culturally inept American tourist. It was utterly gross to hear and I can’t believe she was given a platform. This person is an adult? It felt like I was listening to an immature 14-year-old describe what they imagine a backpacking trip is in a desperate attempt to sound like what they think is cool. Even IF true, there was zero value to her story. It was a complete waste of my time and I had to turn it off half way through — it was that bad. This was the first episode I’ve listened to and i think it will also be my last. Yikes.

Some of the stories are wild, some are touching, and many are reflective of the relatable things in life that we keep secret because we think we’re alone - but we aren’t. But has a great voice and plenty of compassion for his guests, giving them a safe place to cleanse their souls.

I love this podcast!! I find it to be one of those podcasts you can listen to while you work. Needless to say I’ve been binging on this every day while working and it’s so good and I’m also getting lots of work done. I wanted to leave a review before I got back to work.

I love this podcast, but one thing really bothers me-the way every guest says the word ‘exactly’: Exa-CTUH-ly. Every single letter, every single syllable MUST be sounded out. It’s like each guest is instructed to pronounce it this way before being in the show. I guess it stands out to me because it’s a word repeated throughout every episode as they tell their story. Great podcast though, just a side note. Weird review, I know.

What a sweetheart!!! He’s so strong! I’m so impressed! Thanks for sharing!

My favorite podcast. I love Ben’s voice, his empathy and the great advice he gives to storytellers. He is sincere and asks really excellent questions so we get the full story. I learn from his suggestions and ideas and he feels and sounds like a great therapist. I’d like to know his background and education. Journalism? POD ON BEN

The concept is good. And the stories are pretty interesting, but in several episodes the cuts have been messed up. Like the editor took a portion of the story and stuck it in a random place. I feel like I’ve missed several chunks of the story and listened to other parts twice. Long chunks. I’m still in earlier episodes so maybe this gets fixed later, but it’s really frustrating. If the editing and quality gets better I will change my review. Don’t hate it enough not to listen the stories are good.

I love this show and wait for it to post weekly. The hosts voice is calming. He makes his guests feel comfortable and allows them to feel all the emotions. It’s like having that one friend you can live vicariously through their ordeals. Great show, Great Secrets, Great Host Give it a listen! You won’t be sorry!

Stereotypical westerner backpacker behavior and story in SEA, really not a secret. Stopped listening after she described poverty in Pai, Thailand as “hippie,” so ignorant and gross. I hope she found what she was looking for in life.

..the host asks so many leading questions! I wish he didn’t try to impose a tidy moral lesson onto every guest.