
Insights from recent episode analysis
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Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Total monthly reach
Estimated from 42 chart positions in 42 markets.
By chart position
- 🇺🇸US · Documentary#22100K to 300K
- 🇨🇦CA · Documentary#26100K to 300K
- 🇦🇺AU · Documentary#41100K to 300K
- 🇬🇧GB · Documentary#7930K to 100K
- 🇩🇪DE · Documentary#1785K to 30K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
225K to 697K🎙 Daily cadence·27 episodes·Last published yesterday - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
749K to 2.3M🇺🇸13%🇨🇦13%🇦🇺13%+39 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
300K to 930K
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Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 18 epsHost
Recent guests
Recent episodes
The World’s Best Bounty Hunter: How Michelle Gomez Finds People Who Vanish
Jun 24, 2026
1h 11m 13s
America’s Last Weed Prisoner
Jun 17, 2026
2h 49m 44s
She Was the Crystal Meth Queen of Waikiki. Then She Became a PTA Mom in New Jersey.
Jun 10, 2026
1h 29m 40s
Lee Harris Claims to Channel Aliens. Why Do Millions Believe Him?
Jun 3, 2026
2h 08m 12s
He Was a Violent Neo-Nazi Leader. Then He Found Out He Is Jewish.
May 27, 2026
2h 25m 19s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24/26 | ![]() The World’s Best Bounty Hunter: How Michelle Gomez Finds People Who Vanish | How do you find people who do not want to be found? In this episode of The Hidden Third, Mariana sits down with skip tracer and private investigator Michelle Gomez – described by Wired as “the world’s best bounty hunter” – to unpack how she tracks down people who have disappeared on purpose, from the fugitive Ryan Eugene Mullen to a fake “Prince of Dubai.” At 4'11" and just over 100 pounds, Michelle doesn’t look like the person you’d send after fugitives, stolen heavy equipment, or missing yachts – and that’s exactly why she’s so good at it. She leans into her unassuming appearance and uses quirky disguises, from Girl Scout getups to sex‑worker personas, wigs, and glasses, to get close to people who do not want to talk. Michelle grew up in Texas, the daughter of two IBM engineers, and her parents made her build a computer from scratch and solder her own motherboard before she was a teenager. That early crash course in how systems fit together became the blueprint for her career: today she applies the same mindset to people, combing through digital traces, financial records, and tiny “location blips” to build a profile and find the one thread that gives a target away. Over more than two decades, she’s hunted down fugitives, scammers, debt‑dodgers, and high‑risk skips that collection agencies, other investigators, and even law enforcement have failed to locate. In this conversation, she breaks down her use of open‑source intelligence (OSINT), social engineering, and psychological profiling – and what her biggest cases reveal about privacy, ghosting, and the fantasy of truly disappearing. If you’re into investigative journalism, true crime, OSINT, or the hidden world of skip tracing and bounty hunting, this episode is for you. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MARIANA at https://www.oneskin.co/MARIANA #oneskinpod Save 60% on Webroot when you go to http://webroot.com/MARIANA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 1h 11m 13s | ||||||
| 6/17/26 | ![]() America’s Last Weed Prisoner | This past January, America’s so‑called “last cannabis prisoner” walked out of federal custody after serving years on a marijuana trafficking conspiracy between California and the East Coast. At 24, he was running a multi‑million‑dollar weed pipeline from Northern California to Maryland, using tractor‑trailers, private planes, and even FedEx franchises as part of the cannabis supply chain. Before he was ever arrested, he realized a federal case was coming, contacted a lawyer known for representing El Chapo, and then disappeared into Central America as a fugitive. In this episode of The Hidden Third, we go inside his full story as a federal cannabis defendant in a “legal weed” America: how his operation actually worked, what happened to the millions he made, and how, once he was back in the system, he says he was scammed by a lawyer he trusted. We talk about: How a kid who’d been homeless as a teen in suburban Maryland built a national cannabis logistics network The nuts and bolts of the operation: Northern California grow, East Coast demand, trucks and FedEx franchises in between Why he fled to Central America under another identity — and what finally made him come back and face the federal indictment What happened to the money and why the millions he made didn’t translate into a soft landing How he says he was scammed by his own lawyer Life inside pretrial custody and prison, “diesel therapy,” and what it means to try to rebuild while still on probation If you’re interested in the war on drugs, federal marijuana cases, or how large‑scale cannabis trafficking really works behind the headlines, this episode pulls back the curtain in a way you rarely hear from someone who’s just come home. Timeline’s clinically proven formula, Mitopure, now starts at $79, when you subscribe at http://timeline.com/MARIANA Save 60% on Webroot when you go to http://webroot.com/MARIANA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 2h 49m 44s | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | ![]() She Was the Crystal Meth Queen of Waikiki. Then She Became a PTA Mom in New Jersey.✨ | addictionrecovery+5 | Nikki Mammano | Breaking Good | — | crystal methWaikiki+8 | — | 1h 29m 40s | |
| 6/3/26 | ![]() Lee Harris Claims to Channel Aliens. Why Do Millions Believe Him?✨ | channelingspirituality+4 | Lee Harris | The Z’s | — | Lee Harrischanneling+5 | RidgeMARIANA | 2h 08m 12s | |
| 5/27/26 | ![]() He Was a Violent Neo-Nazi Leader. Then He Found Out He Is Jewish.✨ | neo-Nazismderadicalization+4 | Frank Meeink | FBINXIVM+2 | — | neo-NaziJewish+7 | HuelMARIANA | 2h 25m 19s | |
| 5/20/26 | ![]() Prophet or Predator: How He Tricked Her and Trafficked Her Mother✨ | cult survivalcoercion+4 | Lola Blanc | NetflixTrust Me | — | culttrafficking+5 | HuelMARIANA | 1h 06m 35s | |
| 5/15/26 | ![]() Mariana's Interview on The Jordan Harbinger Show✨ | interviewmedia+3 | Mariana van Zeller | The Jordan Harbinger ShowTrafficked with Mariana van Zeller | — | Mariana van ZellerThe Jordan Harbinger Show+3 | — | 1h 42m 26s | |
| 5/13/26 | ![]() “The Hangover” Producer Who Walked Away From Hollywood to Fix America's Prison System✨ | criminal justice reformHollywood+4 | Scott Budnick | Anti-Recidivism CoalitionJust Mercy+3 | — | prison systemjuvenile detention+5 | HuelMARIAN | 50m 19s | |
| 5/6/26 | ![]() Meagan Elizabeth: Raised in a Cult Hiding 900 Abusers✨ | cult survivalabuse+3 | Meagan Elizabeth | Two-by-TwosFBI+1 | — | cultabuse+5 | HuelMARIANA | 1h 30m 48s | |
| 4/29/26 | ![]() Amanda Knox Imprisoned In Italy: The Real Story✨ | media trialswrongful conviction+4 | Amanda Knox | New York TimesHard Knox | ItalyMeredith Kercher | Amanda Knoxwrongful conviction+5 | OneSkinMARIANA | 2h 08m 27s | |
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| 4/22/26 | ![]() The American Captive Inside Venezuela's Deadliest Prison✨ | prison experienceVenezuela+3 | James Luckey-Lange | Goodbye HorsesThe Silence of the Lambs | VenezuelaBrazil+1 | Venezuelaprison+7 | Squarehiddenthird | 2h 03m 44s | |
| 4/15/26 | ![]() Shaka Senghor: 19 Years for Murder✨ | prisonsolitary confinement+3 | Shaka Senghor | — | — | murdersolitary confinement+3 | — | 2h 08m 32s | |
| 4/8/26 | ![]() Chosen by Aliens: The Kidnapping of Jan Broberg✨ | kidnappinggrooming+4 | Jan Broberg | NetflixAbducted in Plain Sight | — | kidnappinggrooming+6 | — | 2h 08m 39s | |
| 4/1/26 | ![]() NYC Drug Kingpin Turned Weed CEO✨ | drug tradereinvention+3 | Coss Marte | ConBodyConBud | New York CityLower East Side | drug dealercannabis dispensary+6 | — | 1h 44m 55s | |
| 3/25/26 | ![]() From Prison Cell to Rocket Scientist✨ | survivaltrauma+4 | Marta Barreto | Virgin Orbit | http://factormeals.com/hiddenthird50off | survival storytrauma+5 | Factor Mealshiddenthird50off | 1h 25m 01s | |
| 3/18/26 | ![]() Undercover Cop✨ | undercover operationsdrug enforcement+3 | Britt Elmore | Megaphone | — | undercover copnarcotics detective+3 | — | 1h 44m 16s | |
| 3/11/26 | ![]() Felon at 7, Reborn in Solitary✨ | redemptionjuvenile justice+3 | Sonny Von Cleveland | The Von Cleveland FoundationAnti-Recidivism Coalition+2 | Southern CaliforniaPalm Springs | Sonny Von Clevelandmentorship+3 | — | 1h 43m 47s | |
| 3/4/26 | ![]() Game Warden vs The Cartel✨ | cartel violenceenvironmental destruction+3 | Nores | EPA | California | cartelCalifornia+5 | — | 2h 02m 11s | |
| 2/25/26 | ![]() The Woman Who Took On Amazon✨ | corporate powerlegal battles+3 | Amy Nelson | AmazonThe Riveter+2 | — | AmazonAmy Nelson+5 | Factor Mealshiddenthird50off | 1h 42m 18s | |
| 2/18/26 | ![]() Ex Neo-Nazi | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller✨ | radicalizationextremism+3 | Christian Picciolini | Hammerskin NationChicago Area Skinheads+2 | ChicagoEurope | neo-Naziradicalization+5 | ExpressVPNhiddenthird | 1h 28m 05s | |
| 2/13/26 | ![]() From The Kink Machine: The Secret Power Behind Porn | On The Hidden Third, we explore the underground worlds and shadowy figures that drive much of the global economy—so today I’m excited to share an excerpt from a new audiobook about one of our culture’s most taboo, most-watched, and least-understood industries: porn. It’s the most watched business in the world. And the least understood. Streamed by millions every day, porn is everywhere. It shapes our culture, our relationships, and even technology. Yet, nobody seems to know who really controls the business. The power brokers tend to lurk in the shadows, while their performers remain quite literally exposed. In the new audiobook The Kink Machine: The Hidden Business of Adult Entertainment, from Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times, Financial Times journalists Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker start digging into the porn industry and following where the money flows. Their reporting uncovers a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses, and the most powerful finance companies in the world. A gripping exposé of how power operates behind the most taboo corner of the internet, Nilsson and Barker unravel a story about control, influence, and an industry with staggering cultural reach that no one really wants to talk about—until now. Here’s a preview of The Kink Machine. If you like what you hear, get The Kink Machine on Audible, Spotify, Pushkin.fm, or wherever you get audiobooks. https://bio.to/KMHidden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 33m 16s | ||||||
| 2/11/26 | ![]() The Hipster Grifter | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller | Go to http://selectquote.com/mariana to save more than 50% on term life insurance. Kari Ferrell became known as “The Hipster Grifter” after her cons went viral. In this episode of The Hidden Third, Kari joins me to talk about how her scams worked — from bad checks to stealing from friends and lying about being a cancer survivor — and how things escalated after she moved from Salt Lake City to New York City, where she landed a job at VICE. We dig into what was driving her at the time, how easy it can be to manipulate trust, and what it’s like to become a public villain on the early internet. Kari walks us through the consequences, the fallout, and what accountability and rebuilding look like when your name becomes synonymous with a grift. Subscribe for more conversations from the underworld. ABOUT THE HIDDEN THIRD: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 2h 09m 15s | ||||||
| 2/4/26 | ![]() Retired ICE Agent | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller | Eric Balliet spent 25 years with the Department of Homeland Security - first with the CBP and then with ICE - arresting dozens of human traffickers, smugglers, and child predators. He led the wiretap strategy that resulted in the arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán—not once, but twice—and was named Federal Law Enforcement Association's Agent of the Year. In this episode, we dive deep into: - His time as a border patrol agent - His investigation into violent militia groups operating on the U.S.- Mexico border - The wiretap operations targeting the Sinaloa Cartel that led to El Chapo's arrest – twice - What it's really like hunting the world's most dangerous criminals - His warnings about Trump's immigration raids and excessive use of force by ICE - Why a massive ICE hiring surge has put untrained and unqualified agents on America's streets - How resources are being diverted from real homeland security threats - Why he decided to speak out and how that has impacted his life This is a rare inside look at federal law enforcement from someone who isn't afraid to tell the truth about what's gone wrong. ABOUT THE HIDDEN THIRD: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 2h 15m 21s | ||||||
| 1/28/26 | ![]() Journalist Jacob Soboroff on Family Separation, ICE Raids, and the LA Fires | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller | Go to http://selectquote.com/mariana to save more than 50% on term life insurance. Go to http://rocketmoney.com/hiddenthird to reach your financial goals faster. In this episode, I sit down with MS NOW correspondent and bestselling author Jacob Soboroff for a candid conversation about what it takes to report on the stories that shape our country, and the personal cost that comes with it. Jacob shares why he became a journalist, the biggest lessons he's learned in the field, the toll his work has had on his family, and even some secrets he's never divulged publicly. We talk about his groundbreaking reporting on the Trump administration's family separation policy – what he saw firsthand inside migrant child detention facilities and what went into writing his book Separated. Jacob reveals what has stayed with him long after the headlines moved on, and warns that families are being separated at an even bigger scale during the current immigration raids. Then we dive into his latest bestseller Firestorm, his firsthand account of the devastating January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Jacob reported live as his childhood home in the Pacific Palisades burned to the ground. He describes these fires as "the fire of the future" – not an isolated tragedy but a harbinger of America's new age of disaster driven by climate change, failing infrastructure, and political dysfunction. If you care about journalism, immigration, climate disasters, and the human stories behind the headlines, this conversation goes deep. ABOUT THE HIDDEN THIRD: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify MARIANA: TikTok Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 1h 35m 31s | ||||||
| 1/21/26 | ![]() Xbox Underground Hacker | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller | In this episode of The Hidden Third, Mariana sits down with Arman, an underground hacker involved in the infamous Xbox Underground case -- an alleged conspiracy federal investigators said targeted Microsoft and its partners and was valued by the FBI at more than $100 million. Arman says he’s been hacking since he could type. Diagnosed with ADD, he found an early obsession and talent in computer programming, spending months in grade school learning how to break into systems most people didn’t even know existed. What started as a game quickly escalated: by fifth grade, he was hacking into his school’s mainframe, and soon after he claims he’d built a sprawling network of bots, giving him the power to control and monetize massive amounts of computing resources. As a teenager, Arman describes earning tens of thousands of dollars, funding his own operation, and even consulting at 14 or 15 years old. But the underground doesn’t just come with money and status. It comes with consequences. He recounts being swatted three times as a teen by rivals and enemies targeting him, and how the paranoia and cat-and-mouse dynamics of that world can follow you long after the hacks stop. (Yes, he even admits to doing things like cutting a teacher’s internet when he didn’t want to turn in homework.) Arman also tells Mariana about cooperating with the government as an informant, and what it’s like to move from “black hat” life into ethical hacking. This interview is for reporting and education. We do not encourage or provide instructions for hacking. About The Hidden Third: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify MARIANA: TikTok Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices | 1h 46m 16s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.
Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.























