Brit Prawat Dishes About Crime Junkie, True Crime, And Her Future Plans - Exclusive Interview
As co-host of the chart-topping "Crime Junkie" podcast, Brit Prawat often says what listeners are thinking as host Ashley Flowers delves into a weekly selection of unsolved crimes. From abductions to murders and everything in between, the series has tackled it all, leaving listeners feeling like they're sitting around with the two life-long friends while they discuss their latest obsession.
Launched in 2017, the true crime podcast quickly rose to the top of the heap, reaching No. 1 on Apple Podcasts and similar platforms and winning numerous awards. In the six years that have followed, the show has only gained traction and grown its loyal followings.
In 2022, Prawat took a months-long break from her "Crime Junkie" co-hosting duties due to a medical emergency and subsequent recovery, but when she returned, it was like she hadn't missed a beat. Now, less than a year later, the Indiana native is feeling good and branching out — partnering with Temptations for its "Catch a Cat Burglar" promotion touting its new line of dry cat food.
In an exclusive interview with Grunge, Prawat talked about partnering with Temptations for a promotional podcast, her favorite true crime TV shows, and what makes "Crime Junkie" stand out from the crowd.
'Education and advocacy' is at the core of Crime Junkie
In a sea of true crime podcasts — and just podcasts in general — what do you think makes "Crime Junkie" so popular?
The relationship that me and Ashley have is a huge factor. Our chemistry is really natural — we are really good friends and have been our entire lives. I also think what's special about our show is how much we focus on advocacy. We try to always include something that we're teaching our listeners or that our listeners can do afterwards. Education and advocacy are the pillars of every episode, and our focus on that has helped us stand out from the crowd.
Well, you guys have done an incredible job. It's amazing how quickly it took off, and it remains consistently popular. Did you think that's where it was going when you started it up?
Absolutely not. Ashley probably did. Ashley is a dreamer. Ashley is a very ambitious person, which is amazing. We are very much yin and yang in that way. I was like, "You know what? If this works, it'd be awesome." It's fun to do. It ensures that she and I get to talk for at least an hour every single week. We make that time to go over a case and hang out together, and the fact that it's been so successful has really been amazing. It's a life that I never thought I'd have.
Women gravitate toward true crime more than men, and that's true for your podcast, too. Why do you think the genre is particularly appealing for women, especially when a lot of it tends to focus on the murders and disappearances of women?
It's a "how does this not happen to me?" thing because the stories feel so familiar. We, as women, have been in situations where we've felt scared, been in situations where we've felt in danger, and we feel like we can learn more, educate ourselves better, and be more aware. That is probably at the core of why true crime is so important to women.
Has there been a particular story you covered that has stuck with you or even haunted you at night?
There is one, but it has stopped [haunting me] because it's been solved. One of the most important cases for me that we covered really early on in our podcast was about the murder of a little girl in Indiana named April Tinsley. It happened an hour and a half away from where I grew up. She was older than me, but her story felt so familiar to both me and Ashley. It was a story that we really wanted to tell, and it had been unsolved for 30 years.
A few months after we covered it, they identified a suspect. He went to trial, and he was convicted. As a mother, it's still a story that haunts me, but the fact that there is some closure and some justice makes it a little bit less haunting for me now.
Is there a type of crime you two won't touch, and if so, why?
I don't think there's anything that we would absolutely say no to, but we do intentionally focus on under-reported stories and stories that haven't been told before. That's mostly because we want to be able to share those stories, be able to find justice for those families, and be able to support those victims' families in a way that they haven't been served yet. Being able to give a voice to a story that's been largely untold is something that's really important to us.
Only Murders in the Building is one of Prawat's favorites
What's your favorite true crime TV show or documentary/film?
Oh man, that's a wide-ranging question. I grew up on "America's Most Wanted" and "Forensic Files," so, those are the OGs. If I need something to chill out to, I watch a rerun of those for sure. "Law & Order: SVU" is up there, too. As for documentary, I will continue to go back to "The Staircase" over and over again because I waffle on all the different ways that it could have happened. Every single time I watch it, I am convinced of a different reason, a different outcome.
You mentioned "Law & Order: SVU." Would you call that your favorite fictional procedural show? Do you watch a lot of those?
I don't watch a ton of procedurals anymore. I never really was a "CSI" girlie or anything like that. I was a "Law & Order" girlie. I haven't watched the new season yet, but I love "Only Murders in the Building," which has been a really fun true crime genre-y show. It's not a procedural, but still within the genre.
What do you think of those "Only Murders in the Building" characters' podcasting style?
It's a little bit unrealistic [laughs], but something that they focus on and do really well is their chemistry. As co-hosts, it's really fluid. It's a little unrealistic as to how they accomplish it, but I do love seeing them interact and build their episodes together. It's so good.
Anything you can tell us about the upcoming "Crime Junkie- inspired series, "Lonely Hearts Club"?
No, unfortunately. I'm super excited about it, though. I'll tell you that.
Can you say how involved you guys are with it or how it came about?
I can't, unfortunately. I am strictly "Crime Junkie" podcasts, so I don't do a lot of the other outreaching things. I know a few things, but I'm not at liberty to say right now.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to jump into the world of podcasting?
Do it now. Just do it. That's what me and Ashley did, and it worked, but it's continually becoming saturated. The most important thing to focus on — whether it's within the true crime genre or podcasting in general — is to make a show that you want to listen to, but can't find. That's what we did. Make whatever tweaks or quirks or whatever that would make it something that you'd love and enjoy and that you'd be a listener of. For us, it's been a really good recipe for success.
Temptations partnership is a first step to branching out
Let's talk Temptations. Do you have cats?
I do not have cats, but I grew up with a lot of animals. I have several cat nieces and nephews. I'm a proud cat auntie. There's Boo Boo and Moo Moo and Rudy and Bo and Cheeto and Rogelio and Tony. I get pictures of them all the time. I'm obsessed with them.
How did your partnership with Temptations come about? What makes it a good fit for you?
Temptations reached out to me, and as a long-time animal lover and proud cat auntie, it seemed like a really good fit. It's been so much fun to work with them. I also loved the pitch. A crime podcast? How could I say no?
Did you work on the podcast concept with them?
They came to me with an outline, and it was really strong and I loved the story. I gave it some "Crime Junkie" flair, but other than that, they did an amazing job laying out the story and making it really fun and interesting.
Now, outside of this Temptations partnership, do you have any aspirations or plans to follow in Ashley's footsteps and branch out beyond podcasting?
There's been some talk on it. I'm feeling out what's right for me and my family. A lot of Ashley's ventures started before she was a mom, which is amazing. I have a kid in high school, and that changes how famous Mom can be or how out-there Mom can be with stuff.
To watch Prawat's promotional podcast for Temptations, visit TemptationsTreats.com/Cat-Burglar.
New episodes of the "Crime Junkie" podcast premiere Monday and are available for listening and download wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
This interview has been edited for clarity.