MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories - Podcast Rankings and reviews

LOVE this podcast. You never know what kind of content you are going to hear but it is always well planned, well said and most importantly super strange. As an avid true crime watcher/reader/listener it is rare that I come across a story I don’t already know about. In every other podcast, I will skip an episode if I already know the case but this podcast makes sure to tell the story from a perspective that absolutely no one else does, so even if you know the story it’s like you are hearing it for the first time. This pod gets me through my busy day! 1000/10 recommend.

I didn’t think that I was going like this podcast, because I have been searching for a true story podcast from this genre that did it for me, but have so far failed. So I figured I’d give it a try and holy moly, he got my attention, chose the best stories to tell, and sounded better than most of the people on podcast like these, which really makes a difference for me. Now, my only problem is that I want more. That’s the best problem to have.

Out of the many podcasters and dozens of storytellers on multiple platforms, Mr. Ballen is definitely my favorite storyteller.
He’s got a natural talent for it that really comes through. I don’t where he finds his stories but many of them are simply astounding, and I’ve heard a great many stories in my 71 years. He really has found his niche and I admire his ambition. He’s also done some great things for charity.
His stories never use objectionable words.
Even your mother could listen. He’s a former Navy Seal who was wounded in battle and he received a Purple Heart. It’s a pleasure to be able to listen to great stories from a young man of his caliber.

I can't wait for every Monday and Thursday because that's when new episodes of this podcast are released. I love this show. Extremely entertaining true crime stories and a great host. Every episode has been great. I love that I have not heard these stories before. With so many other true crime podcasts I've already heard their stories. Mr. Ballen is a gifted story teller and this podcast won't disappoint. He is also a military hero in real life and I thank him for the sacrifices he's made for our country. UPDATE 10/17/23 I'm glad to see episodes back here on Apple Podcasts but I'd really like it if you add some more free, non subscription podcasts here into your mix of your subscription podcasts. I love your work and I love that Apple Podcasts let you choose just a couple at a time and then the podcasts shut off because I listen at bedtime and it helps me fall asleep. Anything I miss I just go back to the next day. I do follow and listen on Amazon too, but the podcasts just keep playing and if I fall asleep I miss many of the episodes. Anyway, Mr. Ballen and crew, you put on a great show. I'd like to hear an episode where you dive deeper in the theoretical causes of spontaneous human combustion. I heard one episode about this here today on your new medical mysteries show,mbut I felt the possible explanations could have gone deeper into it.

Just gave this podcast a listen and clearly I did not read the description or even the name “worst death on the internet”??!! Who the heck wants to listen to excruciating details of a human being’s last moments, much less when they are relayed matter of factly without a shred of empathy for the person or their family. And this is rated clean?? This is everything that is wrong with our society today! If anyone finds this even remotely entertaining they are sick. I turned this podcast off immediately when I realized what I had gotten myself in to. Podcaster, these are people you are talking about. They are so much more than their deaths. Their lives had meaning and they have families and friends who love them still. And here you reduce them to their deaths for your profit and the entertainment of the heartless masses. My god.

I don’t know if it’s just an issue with my podcast app, but on the days that we are supposed to be getting new episodes, the same recycled old content is re-uploaded as “new”. For the past three weeks, every Monday, old podcasts episodes that he’s posted before on here have been re-uploaded and labeled as “new” episodes. It’s exhausting and disappointing considering I am paying a Wondery + Subscription to have access to this podcast.