This podcast educates me, informs me, and makes me laugh a whole lot!

I used to look forward to this show but recently it’s been a HARD listen. The stories used to be full of twists and turns with a variety of guests. Lately it’s been young women sharing their stories about how they plowed through red flags and lo and behold things went poorly.

It seems like the format of this show is: former or current female cigarette smokers tell stories to subtly flirt with the host? I love storytelling but these stories have a dullness to their recounting. The women telling the stories have very low vocabularies so it was hard to listen.

What a great, informative and gut wrenching episode.

I always look forward to every episode. Ben has such a soothing and calm voice which comes in handy with some of his interviewees. This a great podcast and well done.

Ben is such an amazing interviewer and is truly compassionate. The stories are well told and are told without a lot of nonsense.

what disheartens me is the commercials he does in his own voice. His voice all of a sudden becomes insincere when i listen to the podcast.

The WORST guest- please get people that don’t bawl and mumble

Older episodes are good.

べしょえゔぇ

I noticed the voice has become artificially generated. The new cadence is too neat. Ben Hamm's voice is unique so I'm surprised someone thought this would work. Silly

Can you guys coach these people or edit their stories first PLEASE. This latest one sounded like it could have been a Great story if it wasn’t for the completely useless details “turkey burgers and rice” and the 27,000 times she said “like”. GET TO THE POINT. Ugh I tried 4 times and I just could NOT get through it😩

I love this show! However I can not believe that the story, “I’m done”, so real, she really sounds like she is making up answers to your questions. This was so unlike your show.

So many things don’t make sense at all! Stupid. Lost time

The woman from the episode Daughters needs a reality check. I can sympathize with her about lacking good judgement after being locked up by her ex but then moving away with a priority to DATE. What?! That’s a problem. Did she only return because her ex killed himself? She also still won’t call it abandonment even though that’s exactly what it is. The ending was strange too. Why would we want to see pictures of the bar, etc.? Every detail of this story is disturbing. She deserves whatever relationship she does or doesn’t have with the girls, honestly. I don’t blame her girls at all. Their mother is not stable. Seems to prioritize men over her own kids. She seemed to want praise for not doing drugs while pregnant and not marrying the guy. What? Her morals and standards are one step away from being in the trash. Odd woman and odd story because she refused to acknowledge the seriousness of what she did and how it impacted her daughters. Selfish and immature perspective.

I really love your content but it’s become so hard to listen to. I don’t know if it’s your microphone or what but it seems like every female guest you have on, hisses their S’s. It never happens on your side of the microphone so I’m not sure what’s happenings it’s very annoying

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!

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”.