Here’s What’s New In Podcasts This Week. | Podcast News Daily

The beautiful model and actress, who was once named “Kodak Girl” for being the most photographed model in the world had a secret. It comes out in a new podcast being released this week. Also new this week, a new show aims to take away some of the awkwardness of life through the prism of middle school crushes. While another relationship show will encourage oversharing. Plus, a new podcast shares true crime stories from the perspectives of the women involved. A show that tells the story of “cool people who did cool stuff.”

Here’s some of what’s new this week in podcasting – 

Wheel Woman is a new scripted original podcast from iHeartMedia and Teleforce Productions. Wheel Woman tells the true story of Georgia Durante, an all-American beauty, who moves to New York and becomes a mob wife and getaway driver for the Gambino crime family. Then, as a means to save her daughter and escape her abusive marriage and criminal ties, she moves to Los Angeles with $7 in her pocket and reinvents herself as Hollywood’s first female stunt driver. 

Those who have known her for the last 20 years as one of Hollywood’s most successful female commercial stunt drivers have been shocked by the truth of her past. To those in Hollywood, Georgia Durante was always the steely-nerved stuntwoman with the skill to handle a three-ton high-performance vehicle in high-speed precision maneuvers; and the beautiful model and actress–who was once named “Kodak Girl” for being the most photographed model in the world. Now, Durante reveals the incredible details of her past and relives her experiences as both a wheel woman and wife in the Gambino crime family.

“My life has taken me down many unexpected turns, each more incredible and far-fetched than the last. I’m so excited to share my story and let listeners in on the hard-won lessons I’ve learned and the resilience it takes to persevere in this world as a woman,” said Durante. “You’ll never see the next twist coming.”

The scripted podcast is written by Lars Jacobson and Sabrina Jaglom, and directed by Sabrina Jaglom. It will be brought to life by an ensemble cast of characters voiced by Lelia Symington as Georgia, with additional performances by: Tanner Beard, Zachary Webber, Simon Jaglom, Chase Mullins, Nick Williams, Gabe Greenspan, Dylan McCollum, Garrett Baer, Nora Garrett, Ducan Calladine, Victoria Foyt, Max Giorgi, Mariah Bess, and Max Jacoby. 

Podcrushed is a new podcast from Stitcher and SiriusXM. Created and hosted by actor Penn Badgley (You, Gossip Girl), writer/producer Nava Kavelin, and producer/artist Sophie Ansari, the series will explore the awkwardness, anxiety, heartbreak, and self-discovery that defines adolescence. Each week Podcrushed begins with a listener-submitted story, narrated by Penn and enriched with sound design and score. The three hosts will then welcome a special guest to share their own previously unheard and thoroughly embarrassing middle school stories – from childhood crushes, to battles with body hair, to schoolyard scuffles. The result is sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartwarming, and always relatable.

 In a joint statement, the hosts said: “Podcrushed began as a way to dig into people’s most awkward and funny moments in middle school, in order to highlight the universality of getting crushed in some way. But as stories started rolling in from all over the world, the humanity of it all floored us — there weren’t only stories of heartbreak, humiliation and delicious comeuppance, but also stories exploring confusion, identity, and loss. What the show makes clear is that these experiences unite us all, and we can’t wait for you to hear it.”

An initial slate of guests includes Amy Schumer, Andy Grammer, Ayo Edebiri, Drew Barrymore, Jenna Ortega, Leighton Meester, Rainn Wilson, Shay Mitchell, Evan Rachel Wood, Tati Gabrielle, Victoria Pedretti, and more. 

David Ansari (Vallis Alps) co-created Podcrushed and serves as the show’s producer and sound designer. The series is executive produced by Stitcher’s Nora Ritchie (Unladylike, By the Book, The Katie Couric Podcast). Podcrushed launches on May 18.

Comic Con Meta*Pod is a new comedy podcast from Los Angeles Comic Con, LA’s largest event for comics, gaming, sci-fi and pop culture, and iHeartRadio. The weekly series brings fans around the world the hottest nerd news headlines, celebrity interviews, fiery trivia battles between their favorite fan clubs, detailed fandom deep dives, spirited nerd debates, and music spotlights with celebrities and themed bands. It is hosted by Hector Navarro (podcast host for Nerdist Book Club! SpongeBob BingePants and Heroes Reforged!) and art/culture critic Joelle Monique (writer for Teen Vogue, Playboy, and Vulture and executive producer for the iHeartPodcast Network).

Each show will consist of a rundown of the latest nerd news headlines, where Joelle and Hector recap the top pop culture stories of the week. This will be followed by guest interviews featuring actors, showrunners, comic book creators, content creators, influencers, and other entertainment industry professionals. Lastly, each episode will end with a lively rotating segment, including but not limited to: trivia battles, nerd debates, expert fandom deep dives, music spotlights with celebs and themed bands, and comic book reading recommendations. 

Confirmed guests for future episodes include renowned actors such as Donald Faison (Scrubs, Clueless), Seth Green (Family Guy, Robot Chicken, Austin Powers), and Sarah Chalke (Rick and Morty); along with the brilliant minds behind some of the most celebrated comic creations such as Trina Robbins (Wonder Woman), Peter David (The Incredible Hulk), and Jim Krueger (Justice). 

New episodes will drop every Wednesday.

Let The Women Do The Work is a new true crime podcast from The Obsessed Network and True Crime Obsessed host Gillian Pensavalle. “Let the women do the work” is a phrase commonly used by host Gillian Pensavalle on her show, and it serves as inspiration for this new, narrative podcast. It features the true crime stories that fascinate us from the perspectives of the women involved. 

“Talking to these ten women, and giving them a space to tell their stories from their perspectives, has been a highlight of my career in podcasting,” says Pensavalle. “I am beyond grateful to have had this opportunity, and could not have done it without the amazing team working alongside me.”

The ten-episode series will drop in the True Crime Obsessed feed. It will profile activists, journalists, advocates, and more. New episodes drop Thursdays.

The Staircase is a new podcast from HBO Max. It is the companion podcast to the new true-crime drama series exploring the life of Michael Peterson and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. Host Nancy Miller, who also hosts HBO’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark podcast, interviews both cast and crew to unpack how the true story was brought to life on screen, plus case experts and academics to dive into the science, history and psychology behind the case.

Episode one features executive producer/writer/director Antonio Campos, as well as Toni Collette, who portrays Kathleen in the series. Other notable guests joining throughout the season include Colin Firth (starring in the series as Michael Peterson), Sophie Turner, Parker Posey, and others. New episodes will be published Thursdays, in alignment with the TV series schedule.

Oversharing is a new a new relationship advice podcast from Betches Media, a multi-platform media company for millennial women. Hosted by Betches co-founder Jordana Abraham and her sister and licensed therapist Dr. Naomi Bernstein, the show will discuss interpersonal relationships and help listeners navigate their own personal situations with dating, family, work and friendships. Oversharing is encouraged as the two sisters share thoughtful advice, answer ethical/moral dilemmas and listener questions on topics from self-discovery to better communication skills. Each week they will respond to listener emails, tackling difficult ethical questions, playing games, and more. 

New episodes will be released each Tuesday.

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff is a new history podcast from iHeartPodcast Network’s Cool Zone Media. Hosted by author Margaret Killjoy, the series will unpack history’s most iconic revolts, trailblazers and those who have fought to be free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. Guests will include Robert Evans, Propaganda, and Samantha Mcvey. 

Killjoy is a transfeminine author, activist, and podcaster whose work explores what it means for communities to, together, learn to be free. She is currently living in the Appalachian mountains with her dog and her instruments. New episodes will be released every Monday and Wednesday.

Cool Zone Media is the iHeart podcast network helmed by investigative journalist Robert Evans and executive producer Sophie Lichterman.

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a new podcast from Lava for Good. On the series, Freland, a journalist, producer, and podcast host, explores a different wrongful conviction case each week, featuring compelling and revealing conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison despite overwhelming evidence of their actual innocence. 

Some of Maggie’s guests have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish in prison—with some even facing execution on death row. The first episode, released just ahead of Mother’s Day, features the case of Patty Prewitt, a 72-year-old mother of five, grandmother of thirteen, and a great-grandmother who is serving a life sentence after being wrongfully convicted of the murder of her husband.

“When I knew I wanted to be a journalist, I only wanted to do something impactful, to elevate the voices of people who are marginalized. I’ve been lucky enough to have a career where I can do that — amplify the voices of those who have suffered injustice or fallen through the cracks,” said Freleng. “Lava for Good shares my vision of making a difference through storytelling and forging human connections. I’m proud to partner with them in our work to effect change in individual lives and in our criminal legal system at large.”

The show is a spiff of Lava for Good’s flagship series Wrongful Conviction, hosted by founder Jason Flom. With a backlog of hundreds of cases he wanted to cover, Flom and the Lava for Good team sought another voice to join in investigating and telling the stories. 

Pridecast with Jonathan Bennett is a new podcast from iHeartRadio. Hosted by actor Jonathan Bennett and his husband, James, with stories and guests focusing on the LGBTQIA+ community. It will include impactful stories to inform, educate and inspire through personal storytelling, based on the real-life experiences of Jonathan and James. Pridecast was created in collaboration with LA Pride which, for over 50 years has been one of the largest LGBTQ events in the world.

Crypto Café With Randi Zuckerberg is a new podcast from SiriusXM. With cryptocurrency being a hotly debated topic, Zuckerberg’s new podcast will feature both casual and educational conversations with metaverse experts, tech futurists, and top business executives who will share industry tips and explain the skills and foundational knowledge necessary to navigate the crypto ecosystem safely and successfully. Zuckerberg and her guests will also discuss topics surrounding the crypto universe for women and non-binary people; share favorite NFT, crypto and metaverse projects; and tackle how to make the overwhelming crypto world accessible for mainstream audiences through fun and easy blockchain games.

“I’ve loved hosting my show on SiriusXM for eight years now and have always believed that audio is such an impactful and intimate medium” said Zuckerberg. “Through the years, I’ve seen so many business, technology, and economic trends arise, but nothing quite like the passion and fervor around crypto, NFTs and Web3. I’m excited to dive into this world more deeply through my new podcast in a way that turns an intimidating, confusing topic into a conversation that feels friendly, approachable, and fun.”

Zuckerburg is an author and founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media. The sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg, she earlier was one of the early employees at Facebook where she was the creator of Facebook Live. Zuckerberg is also the host of “Randi Zuckerberg Means Business” on the SiriusXM Business Radio channel.

Songbirding is releasing its fifth season. The new season of the nature podcast is an acoustic exploration of a rarely explored corner of the Bruce Peninsula National Park, in Ontario, Canada. Hosted by Rob Porter, Songbirding is aimed at an audience of both birders and general nature enthusiasts alike, but also attracts a substantial audience that just likes to listen and relax. New episodes will be released on Mondays, biweekly. Since its launch in October 2019, theSongbirding podcast has had over 275,000 downloads.

CISA Cybersecurity Alerts is a new podcast from CyberWire. The show is described as a first-of-its-kind public service audio feed for urgent cybersecurity advisories. The alerts, produced by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with other government organizations, and adapted to audio by the CyberWire, provide urgent information about cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and exploits. The audio alerts are a stand-alone feed that subscribers can find wherever they get their podcasts, and also shared via the CyberWire’s flagship CyberWire Daily podcast feed.

“We’ve long relied on CISA for our work here at CyberWire,” said Peter Kilpe, the CyberWire’s CEO and Executive Editor. “They’re an extraordinarily helpful resource for the industry. These alerts are all about sharing vital information as quickly and broadly as possible and are invaluable to the collective cyber defense of the nation. Turning these alerts into an audio resource makes them more accessible generally and to the visually impaired. We’re proud to produce them as a service to the community.”

The CISA Cybersecurity Alerts podcast is a public service, funded by the CyberWire, entirely free of advertising or sponsorship.

The CyberWire is also encouraging other podcasters and companies to share and publish these public service cybersecurity alerts via their own feeds or websites. 

Dark Side of the Land is a new podcast from Gray Television’s WOIO-TV Cleveland. The series explores some of the most shocking crimes along Lake Erie. The team of journalists digs deep into the archives, searching for new answers and hopefully justice for some families who have been waiting for years.

Queen of the Con: The OC Savior is releasing a second season. The show from AYR Media and iHeartMedia. will unravel the story of Lizzie Mulder, a Laguna Beach resident who created and impersonated a stable of compelling characters, posing as a CPA and swindling each of her clients – many of whom considered Lizzie a close friend – out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Taking on a winery, a local salon and a luxury travel business, among other victims, Lizzie had scammed her way to more than $1.5M, when an extramarital affair with a local cowboy put her on the radar of an enterprising Laguna Beach detective. The series is narrated and executive produced by TV producer and “con hunter” Johnathan Walton. Aliza Rosen executive produces for AYR Media. The 10-episode season will drop new episodes Thursdays. The series is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.

Margins of Error is a releasing a second season of the show from CNN Audio. Hosted by CNN’s Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten, the new season explores more wild and weird stories behind the stats that make up our world. Throughout the podcast, Enten goes on a search for disappearing accents, investigates how much money actually makes us happy, wonders if love is really dead, explores whether wearing glasses makes you look and feel smarter, and much more.

Groundbreakers is a new podcast from the global strategy, design and construction firm Unispace The podcast is devoted to how Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives transform and impact people and their environments. The show is hosted by Chely Wright, Unispace’s Chief Diversity Officer and a renowned LGBTQI+ advocate and country music recording artist who has spent more than a decade helping global organizations create inclusive environments.

“Inclusion isn’t just about everyone getting a seat at the table—it’s about making sure everyone gets the mic,” said Wright. “This podcast was created to highlight how DEIB can inspire the physical breaking of ground and creation of space, as well as how the pioneers and the people holding that space can inspire change, push the boundaries and blaze new paths forward. Really, the podcast named itself,” she added.

Each episode of the biweekly Groundbreakers will feature conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds, including corporate leaders, advocates and entertainers. These conversations are intended to be thought provoking, provocative, engaging, entertaining and dynamic for listeners and provide applicable insights to help leaders create inclusive spaces and actionable change.