Listener sentiment
The pattern seen through the summer holds into early October: ratings for Heretics remain overwhelmingly positive, with listeners repeatedly praising Andrew Gold's calm, respectful interviewing style, his willingness to let guests speak at length, and the breadth of guests and topics — many explicitly note they don't agree with every guest but value hearing perspectives outside the mainstream. The polarization flagged in the prior summary persists: a recurring minority of one-star reviews accuse Gold of transphobic and culture-war commentary — several say they have unfollowed over his remarks on trans issues and identity politics — while others in the same window call the show brave, honest counter-programming to mainstream media, with some positive reviewers claiming negative ratings come from hostile activists. A handful of more neutral criticisms recur independently: the show drifting toward conspiracy-adjacent or tabloid-style content, occasionally thin guest research or preparation, inconsistent audio quality, clickbait episode titles, and a listener request to add video on Apple Podcasts. Specific episodes continue to divide — the Vanessa Feltz interview remains a flashpoint, while a poorly articulate guest on the Al Fayed story drew a lone harsh review on delivery rather than content.
Apple4.1 · 579
Summary generated Oct 13, 2026
