Listener sentiment
The dominant news in the recent ratings is co-host Christine's departure from the show, announced in early September: reactions are overwhelmingly affectionate, with long-time listeners expressing sadness and wishing both hosts well, and many vowing to stay on — though a few say the exit gives them a natural stopping point after already fading interest. Beyond the farewell wave, the familiar fault lines from the past year persist: devoted fans (many listening since 2017–2018) still describe the show as a comforting Sunday ritual and praise the hosts' chemistry and sensitive handling of dark material, while detractors point to a perceived quality decline — an imbalance between the hosts' segments, Christine's abbreviated true-crime portion, long off-topic tangents, and her tendency to interrupt Em. The show's progressive political commentary remains the most polarizing thread, drawing both strong applause from fans who value the advocacy and angry one-star exits from listeners who find it preachy or hypocritical — with some lapsed fans on both sides citing it as their reason for leaving. Guest crossover episodes, TikTok-style language sanitization, and ad load draw recurring but secondary complaints.
Apple4.4 · 1,155
Summary generated Oct 3, 2026
