‘Podcrushed’: You’ll ‘die 4’ this new podcast hosted by Penn Badgley & more

It’s time to explore the awkwardness, anxiety, heartbreak, and self-discovery that defines adolescence with the recently launched Podcrushed — a new podcast series created and hosted by Penn Badgley (You, Gossip Girl), Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari.

Each week, Podcrushed begins with a listener-submitted story, narrated by Penn and enriched with sound design and score. Penn, Nava and Sophie 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. Check out a teaser from episode 1 below.

The background each host brings to Podcrushed enhances the experience for guest and listener – Penn, a former child actor who spent his middle school years in Hollywood; Sophie, a former fifth grade teacher who grew up in seven countries around the world; and Nava, a former director of a middle school who spent her adolescence in Puerto Rico.

Each week, Podcrushed begins with a listener-submitted story, narrated by Penn and enriched with sound design and score. Penn, Nava and Sophie 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. The background each host brings to Podcrushed enhances the experience for guest and listener – Penn, a former child actor who spent his middle school years in Hollywood; Sophie, a former fifth grade teacher who grew up in seven countries around the world; and Nava, a former director of a middle school who spent her adolescence in Puerto Rico. 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. Each guest’s willingness to share some of their most formative moments with humor and poignancy has reaffirmed the universality of Podcrushed’s premise.

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.”

“Penn, Nava and Sophie are shining a light on the time in our lives that defines who we are,” says Peter Clowney, Vice President of Content at Stitcher. “They’ve created a show that is both funny and serious, and we’re excited for people to hear that.”

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). SXM Media, the combined advertising revenue organization of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., has exclusive global ad sales rights for Podcrushed.