The Alarmist is a comedic and informative podcast hosted by Rebecca Delgado Smith, a writer and, um, a comedian. It explores historical events, especially calamities, assigns blame or responsibility for those events (but we wouldn’t take her word for it every time), and outlines the consequences of these disasters. The podcast has staying power — it kicked off in 2019 and now has over 450 episodes in its tally.

The podcast delves into a wide range of events from different eras and regions: From The Sinking of the Titanic to The Death of Cleopatra to The Berlin Wall and The Downfall of WeWork.

The Joan Crawford and BetteDavis Feud is a recent intriguing episode that will appeal to fans of Hollywood gossip:Rebecca discusses the infamous rivalry between the Hollywood leading ladies Joan Crawford and Bette Davis with the actor Emily Pendergast, exploring whether it was as fierce as it seemed, or merely exaggerated propaganda created by Hollywood tabloids.

Smith maintains a light-hearted and humorous approach while discussing complex topics. She is usually joined by a guest or two including journalists, actors, writers, historians, and fact-checkers.

Episodes mainly start with a concise introduction that sets the stage for the main historical event or disaster being discussed, followed by Rebecca’s engaging conversations with her guests. Some episodes have follow-ups or sequels with a shorter duration that are released after the main episode, which is called “Aftermath.”

WHERE TO LISTEN - You can listen to The Alarmist on Anghami, Spotify, Apple podcasts, and Google podcasts.

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