"It’s Ben a Week" is an unfiltered, bold, and hilariously unpredictable podcast where Texas grit meets Hollywood wit. Hosted by actor, barrel racer, and photographer Ben McDonnell, it’s your weekly escape into outrageous stories, candid conversations, and unapologetic humor.
This week on It’s Ben A Week, the studio is loud, shady, and glitter-covered as Ben is joined by Bryan and Jon from the podcast Out Loud and Laughing. The mics heat up instantly as the trio dives into Taylor Swift’s new album, Life of a Showgirl — breaking down lyrics, Easter eggs, and why she has the best marketing team.
From there, nothing is off limits — Housewives drama, murder hypotheticals, Caitlyn Jenner rants, pop culture me...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m joined by Rawson Marshall Thurber — the writer and director behind blockbuster hits like Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Central Intelligence, Skyscraper, Red Notice, and the upcoming Voltron film. He’s worked with everyone from Ben Stiller to Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Aniston, and Gal Gadot — and now… me.
Then Rawson and I get into:
She’s the only person Ben trusts to poke his face with needles—and for good reason. In this episode, Ben is joined by Beverly Hills-based nurse practitioner and aesthetic guru Laura Fischer for an honest, hilariously relatable, and incredibly informative deep dive into all things skincare, Botox, filler, and the myths surrounding aesthetic treatments.
From what age you should actually start Botox, to the difference between “filler f...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, we’re trying something new — and maybe a little futuristic. First, Ben kicks things off with some classic rage and chaos: a Starbucks, a Male Truck Drivers, and a bar fight with a cowboy bigot that ends with a bloody vape pen to the face.
Then things take a turn… because our guest this week is not a celebrity, influencer, or mom — it’s ChatGPT.
Yes, Ben interviews artificial intelligence — the app that’s...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben sits down with Urzila Carlson — global comedy powerhouse, Taskmaster trauma survivor, and certified expert in both sarcasm and swearing.
Originally from South Africa, now based in New Zealand, Urzila has taken the comedy world by storm with her Netflix specials, unfiltered stand-up, and razor-sharp takes on everything from LGBTQIA+ to not ending up porn. She’s a scene stealer in her new movie Kinda ...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, It's all about Montauk, Manhattan, and the Cowboy Carter tour. What was supposed to be a chill summer getaway turned into a full-throttle saga featuring a Real Housewives, a bar showdown, a fake diarrhea excuse to Delta, and me almost getting decked by a guy a local fisherman.
In this episode, I cover:
This week, Ben sits down with his SoulCycle instructor and longtime friend, David Zint — master instructor, motivational powerhouse, and unofficial therapist. After clocking over 750 hours of riding with David, Ben gets deep about how SoulCycle helped him through breakups, grief, and the chaos of acting life — and why it was never about burning calories.
But before we spin into the deep stuff, Ben shares his extremely unpatriotic fe...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, it’s just me — and the wildest work week I’ve ever had.
I booked a national commercial that had me on a flight to the Dominican Republic in 12 hours. Problem is… it was the same weekend as my friend’s funeral and the Beyoncé concert I’d been planning to go to for months.
Here’s what went down:
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m kicking things off with a story that made me question everything: a friend ghosted me in the middle of planning an episode… after confirming, bullet pointing, and saying “love you.” I went full Nancy Drew, messaged her mom, and basically spiraled into a wellness check meltdown.
If you’ve ever been stood up, blocked, or left wondering “am I crazy or is this sociopathic?” — same.
But then — the episode...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m kicking things off with some real talk. We just lost a dear friend — Danny — to cancer, and my heart goes out to his husband Blaine and everyone in our crew who’s hurting. Life hit hard this week, but so did the laughs, the chaos, and the cocktails… because grief doesn’t come in a straight line.
We flew to LA for the week and let me tell you — travel was a disaster, AJ caught Labubu fever, I got bul...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I talk about why children don’t belong at the gym, why iPad babies are ruining customer service, and how I ended up almost cheering when a dumbbell landed on a toddler (he’s fine… allegedly).
Then I head back to LA for my best friend’s insane baby shower, and I reflect on how Pride Month is being erased by the government — including renaming the Navy ship named after Harvey Milk and quietly stripping tr...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, it’s my birthday… and I’m officially coming out — right here on the podcast. Surprise! I’m gay. 🌈 (Okay, not that shocking)
I’m turning 33, and this episode is a full reflection on self-love, Pride Month, and the journey of getting comfortable in your own skin. I talk about growing up closeted, internalized shame, high school bullies, my terrifying coming-out moment with my mom on the freeway, and how ...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m saving dogs, dodging kids at the gym, raging about kettlebells, and reflecting on Katy Perry’s outer space comeback tour. Oh — and I shot a gun for the first time. No big deal.
Then I’m joined by a brand new friend — yoga instructor, tarot reader, and all-around badass Gabrielle, who shares her incredible story of surviving emergency brain surgery at 14, losing her mom shortly after, being kicked ou...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, things go off the rails fast — literally. I try to rescue a squirrel stuck in my truck tire and end up driving the wheels off my dually. Then I recap my stressful (and slightly unhinged) car buying journey and why I chose the new Audi Q6 over a Tesla. Spoiler: I just can’t give Elon my money.
Then AJ’s best friend of 20 years — and my instant bestie — Cassandra joins me for the full episode. This episod...
This week on It’s Ben A Week, we’re honoring Mother’s Day — but not in the Hallmark card way. This is an episode about real moms, real loss, real love, and the unthinkable strength it takes to show up when life knocks you flat.
First up: I talk with my incredible friend Victoria, who shares the story of losing her newborn daughter Eden — and how grief became the most powerful fuel for her growth. She opens up about the trauma, thera...
In this episode of It’s Ben a Week, I’m joined by my longtime bestie Elise Hansen to break down the chaos of Stagecoach and Coachella—two festivals that are as different as acid and whiskey. But first, we recap one of the wildest nights of our lives: AJ manifested his dream (again) and ended up singing on stage with the one and only Patti LaBelle. And yes, there's video.
In this episode we discuss:
This week on It’s Ben A Week, I’m exposing one of my worst enemies: hangover anxiety—or as I like to call it, Ben-xiety. Why is it that after a fun night of drinking, I wake up convinced that everyone hates me and I'm about to get canceled by my friend group?
I break down why vodka is my toxic best friend, why I'm a world-class drunk texter, and why hangovers on vacation just hit different. Plus, I do a little "scienc...
This week on It's Ben A Week, I try to make sense of Easter... and somehow end up ranting about Braille drive-thru menus, espresso mispronunciations, and whether Jesus just Houdini’d himself out of that tomb. I also give you an inside look at my week—from dealing with Starbucks stick-figure family vans, to accidentally draining our ranch's entire propane tank for one 10-minute swim.
Then AJ joins me for the full interview ...
From beauty guru to jungle-dwelling death doula—this week’s guest has lived. Ben reconnects with his longtime friend Eleven (aka Lynette), a former YouTube star turned psychedelic guide, spiritual teacher, and self-described shapeshifter.
They dive into everything from ayahuasca trips, queer identity, and death work to what it really means to evolve, let go, and embrace change. And yes, there’s talk of puking in the jungle and shitt...
This week, Ben sits down with comedy royalty — the one and only Caroline Rhea. You probably know her best as Aunt Hilda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but today she’s trading her spellbook for stories, jokes, and a whole lot of heart.
This episode is equal parts stand-up set, therapy session, and fun — and yes, Caroline can still get recognized just by laughing.
In this episode:
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!