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Former US Navy SEAL and mystery aficionado MrBallen has earned the number one spot on Spotify’s true-crime podcast chart. MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories premiered on the morning of Monday, February 14, beating fan-favorite series, including Crime Junkie and Murder, Mystery & Makeup.
The first episode of the podcast series is titled “The Plot,” an eerie real-life murder case involving Washington teenager Rachel Burkheimer.
Speaking about his interest in creating the podcast, the YouTuber said in an official statement:
“I’ve loved telling strange, dark, and mysterious stories ever since I was a kid sitting around a campfire in the summer. My YouTube channel has allowed me to explore all sorts of crazy tales, but I have always wanted to get more detailed, complex, and intriguing.”
He added:
“With our new podcast, I feel like I’ll be able to go deep on the stories that scare me the most.”
John “MrBallen” Allen will be releasing two episodes weekly, narrating spine-chilling true crime cases along with highlighting fans’ favorite YouTube moments. The original episodes will be released every Monday, along with the “best of” highlight on Thursdays.
The episodes will be available on podcast-streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Where is MrBallen from?
The content creator grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts. After showing an interest in the military, he served as a Navy SEAL between 2012 and 2017. Unfortunately, he had a grenade hit on his shoulder during his deployment, leading to a shrapnel landing on his hips and legs. The YouTuber called his medic team an “all-star” for saving his life.
Following his time spent in service, he decided to retire in 2017. He co-founded two successful organizations that help former operatives find jobs. The 33-year-old gained mass traction online after posting a TikTok video about the Dyatlov Pass incident, which ended up going viral.
However, he felt that he could not build a career on TikTok alone, so he uploaded videos of similar content on YouTube. He has covered several murder and disappearance stories on his channel, which are based on reputable eyewitnesses.
The content creator now holds over eight million followers on TikTok and has amassed nearly 5.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
Currently, the content creator lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Amanda, who he has been married to for over ten years, and his daughters and son.
