When we think of the UK’s most popular broadcasters, we all know the names that spring to mind. David Attenborough. Graham Norton. Louis Theroux. And yes, the Old Guard of the UK media establishment still holds plenty of sway. But do they really reflect our nation’s cultural preoccupations? Not really – especially when it comes to podcasts. The annual “Wrapped” data drop by streaming giant Spotify suggests that there’s one figure who’s monopolised our collective lugholes like no other: US podcaster Joe Rogan.
As announced by Spotify today, Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, has retained its No 1 ranking in the global charts – also claiming the top spot for the UK. Despite his immense popularity, Rogan remains a little-discussed figure within the traditional British media sphere, except for a run of controversies in 2022. Chief among these scandals was his podcast’s platforming of Covid anti-vax conspiracy theorists, which prompted a boycott of Spotify by artists such as Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Shortly after, Rogan also issued an apology over resurfaced clips of him saying the “n-word” on air. His penchant for allowing misinformation to air unchallenged goes back years; critics have branded Rogan everything from an “idiot” to a “danger to society”. Last year, a group of more than 150 scientists, doctors and healthcare professionals described Rogan as an “enormous threat to public health”. (Rogan apologised for this too, arguing that he had always tried to correct misinformation that had made it to air.)
