The Best Interview Podcasts in 2026 (Ranked and Reviewed)

Image for Episode 0010: Catherine Whitney on David Hockney and how the arts stimulate our brains

Episode 0010: Catherine Whitney on David Hockney and how the arts stimulate our brains

Curator Catherine Whitney (Honolulu Museum of Art) on David Hockney's final retrospective, museum leadership, and the neuroscience of why art is good for you.

Updated July 2026.

The best interview podcasts don’t just ask questions. They create space for guests to say something they’ve never said before. They’re long-form, unscripted, and guided more by curiosity than by a prepared script. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, unexpected laughs, or a story that shifts how you see the world, these five shows consistently deliver.

An interview podcast is a show built around one consistent host and a rotating cast of guests, not a fixed panel trading banter. That structure is what makes room for a guest to go off-script.

Here are the best interview podcasts worth your time in 2026.

What Makes a Great Interview Podcast?

Every show on this list shares three things: a substantial back catalog, a consistent interview format rather than co-host banter, and a track record of guests going somewhere unscripted. We weighted longevity and listener trust over any single viral episode.

Longevity matters more than it sounds like it should. Marc Maron has been recording WTF since 2009. Terry Gross has hosted Fresh Air since 1975. That kind of run only happens when a host’s interviewing skill actually holds up episode after episode, not just for one breakout conversation. It also tracks with how the audience has grown: Edison Research’s Infinite Dial report has shown monthly podcast listenership climbing for over a decade, and the shows that have lasted through that growth are the ones worth trusting first. WTF, SmartLess, and Armchair Expert have all spent extended stretches in Apple Podcasts’ overall top charts, not just the interview category, which says something about how far these conversations travel beyond a niche audience.

1. The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett

This UK-based podcast examines what drives success and the costs people face to attain that. Steven Bartlett interviews entrepreneurs, athletes, and creators with a rare mix of sharp insight and emotional empathy.

Why it’s great: Steven is my favorite interviewer. His interviewing ability cuts through any pretense and celebrity to really connect with the guest, and audience. He combines business acumen with personal vulnerability, appealing to both minds and hearts. Already through the back catalog? Here are 10 podcasts like Diary of a CEO worth adding to your queue.

2. On Being with Krista Tippett

Krista Tippett’s award-winning podcast is part philosophy, part spiritual inquiry, and all heart. She explores life’s big questions with poets, scientists, and spiritual leaders in conversations that feel like guided meditations.

Why it’s great: It’s a masterclass in slow, intentional interviewing that nourishes the soul. Tippett started the show in 2003 as Speaking of Faith before renaming it On Being in 2010, and the two-decade run shows in how unhurried the conversations feel. She won a National Humanities Medal for the work, which tells you how far the show reaches beyond a typical interview format.

3. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard brings warmth and self-awareness to long-form interviews with actors, experts, and friends. The show is known for its mix of humor and vulnerability, often turning seemingly light conversations into emotional deep-dives.

Why it’s great: The blend of celebrity guests and real insight makes this show as entertaining as it is reflective.

4. WTF with Marc Maron

A podcasting pioneer, Marc Maron’s interviews are raw, funny, and unflinchingly honest. Whether he’s talking with comedy legends or musicians, his signature neurotic charm makes each episode feel like a therapy session with a mic.

Why it’s great: One of the most iconic interview podcasts ever, with a massive back catalog.

5. So Many Questions…

A new voice in the interview podcast world, So Many Questions… is an introspective, gently funny show that dives deep into identity, meaning, and what makes us human. Host Kendall Guillemette doesn’t just ask what people do, he wants to know who they are and how they got here.

Guests range from creatives to community members, all bringing something uniquely real. With a tone that balances warmth, humor, and reflection, this show is quickly earning its place among the best interview podcasts.

Why it’s great: Thoughtful, intimate conversations paired with humor and heart.

More Interview Podcasts Worth Adding to Your Queue

The five above are our top picks, but a handful of other shows come up constantly whenever this list gets discussed. Here’s where to go next.

How I Built This with Guy Raz: Guy Raz interviews the founders behind well-known companies, tracing the decisions, luck, and near-failures that got them there. It’s been running since 2016 and remains one of the most consistent business-interview formats in podcasting.

The Joe Rogan Experience: Running since 2009, Rogan’s show covers everything from combat sports to science to comedy, in conversations that regularly run three hours or more. Love it or not, its reach and guest range are hard to ignore.

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend: Conan turns his own self-deprecation into a tool for getting past a guest’s rehearsed answers, and the producer banter between segments adds a different texture than a straight two-person interview.

Which Interview Podcasts Are Best in the USA?

If you’re specifically after US-based shows, here are the ones worth your subscription:

  1. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard: Warm, self-aware, and unafraid to turn a light conversation into an emotional deep-dive, often with Dax naming his own past mistakes before he asks a guest to do the same. See also: 10 podcasts like Armchair Expert.
  2. WTF with Marc Maron: One of the originals, running since 2009 out of Maron’s own garage. Raw, funny, and unflinchingly honest, with comedy legends and musicians both treated the same way. See also: 10 podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron.
  3. On Being with Krista Tippett: Slow, intentional, and philosophical without ever feeling academic.
  4. Fresh Air with Terry Gross: The standard-bearer for researched, precise interviewing. Decades of archives, still essential.
  5. SmartLess: Three-host format built around genuine curiosity and comic timing. See also: 10 podcasts like SmartLess.
  6. Good Hang with Amy Poehler: Warm, funny, and genuinely curious about the people across the table. See also: why podcasts like Good Hang feel like home.
  7. The Tim Ferriss Show: Long-form, deconstructive interviews with high performers across business, sports, and the arts.
  8. So Many Questions: Long-form, unscripted conversations about identity, creativity, and connection, hosted by Kendall Guillemette.

Which Interview Podcasts Are Best in the UK?

For UK-based shows specifically, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett tops nearly every list, but it’s far from the only one worth your time. We’ve put together a dedicated roundup of 15 best interview podcasts from the UK, including Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail, the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, and Louis Theroux’s interview work. If you want more shows in that same vein, see 10 podcasts like Diary of a CEO.

Final Thoughts

The best interview podcasts go beyond surface-level chatter. They ask the questions that make people pause, think, and sometimes laugh out loud. Whether you’re a fan of famous guests or drawn to the beauty of everyday voices, these shows remind us how much we can learn by simply listening.

If you only have room for one new show in your queue, let what you want out of it decide. Want catharsis and dark humor? Start with WTF with Marc Maron. Want a slower, more contemplative listen? On Being is the better fit. Want the business story behind something you already use? How I Built This. And if you want conversations that go looking for who someone really is instead of just what they do, that’s where So Many Questions… lives.

And if you’re looking for a new favorite, So Many Questions… is worth adding to your queue.

FAQs

An interview podcast is a show built around one consistent host and a new guest each episode, rather than a fixed panel of co-hosts. The format favors long-form, unscripted conversation over a tight script, which is what lets a guest go somewhere unexpected.

A strong back catalog, a consistent format, and a host who listens as much as they ask. The best shows treat preparation and follow-up questions as a craft, not a checklist, so guests end up saying things they haven’t said elsewhere.

There’s no single answer, but Marc Maron, Terry Gross, Krista Tippett, and Steven Bartlett are the names that come up most often, each for a different style: raw and personal, precise and researched, slow and reflective, and empathetic with a business edge.

Match the show to what you want out of it. Want humor and vulnerability? Start with Armchair Expert or WTF with Marc Maron. Want something reflective and slower-paced? On Being is the better fit. Want business and creator insight? Diary of a CEO or How I Built This.

Mostly no. Hosts typically prepare research and a loose set of questions, but the strongest interview podcasts let the conversation move away from that outline whenever something more interesting comes up.

Kendall Guillemette | Mar 23, 2026

The show can be found wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Real conversations, straight to your inbox.
Subscribe for new episodes and more.