Brit Prawat On What Sets Crime Junkie Apart From Other Podcasts - Exclusive

When the true-crime podcast "Crime Junkie" premiered in late 2017, creator/host Ashley Flowers and co-host Brit Prawat found almost-immediate success, quickly cutting through all the podcast noise and shooting to the top of the charts. The two lifelong friends, who grew up in Indiana, have recorded hundreds of episodes over the past six years and garner upwards of 10 million eager listeners every week when new installments drop on Mondays.

With Flowers leading the charge, the "Crime Junkie" brand has expanded into touring, publishing, and even other areas of the entertainment world, with Peacock working on an episode-inspired dramedy series called "Lonely Hearts Club." It's an impressive feat for two women who started off sitting cross-legged in Flowers' home recording themselves talking about their latest true crime obsession.

In an exclusive interview with Grunge while promoting her partnership with Temptations cat treats, Prawat revealed what she thinks makes "Crime Junkie" stand out in a neverending sea of podcasts.

According to Prawat, the secret to the success of "Crime Junkie" is simple: chemistry.

"The relationship that me and Ashley have is a huge factor," says Prawat. "Our chemistry is really natural — we are really good friends and have been our entire lives."

She also thinks the way the pair handles the true crime cold cases they discuss is important. "We focus on advocacy," she says. "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."

It's a vibe that Prawat says was lacking in true crime podcasting when she and Flowers first entered the field, and it's a trend she hopes will continue.

"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," says Prawat. "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."

New episodes of the "Crime Junkie" podcast premiere Monday and are available for listening and download wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

You can also watch Prawat's promotional podcast for Temptations at TemptationsTreats.com/Cat-Burglar.