True Stalking Stories From The Survivors!

I listen to it usually but Jaime sounds like she’s in a tunnel. Jake sounds so good in comparison. She may need new equipment. Her voice is too squeaky as well. You both literally say nothing until the end and it’s always in a random spot “thank you for being on the show” it almost cuts the guest out every time. Why can’t you interview the guests? There’s so many questions. The hosts basically do nothing but a few words at the beginning then the end. It’s obvious Jake’s equipment is higher quality because Jaime’s sounds like shes using the cheapest equipment. It’s pretty bad. The podcast went from ok to now kind of meh…. Interview the guests, ask questions, show some compassion. This isn’t fulfilling just listening. Cmon Jake and Jaime, dive deep. Do something. Its comes across as cheap.

My previous review mysteriously “vanished” so let’s see how long this one stays up. I wasn’t aware shows could remove or not allow some reviews, especially if it’s even remotely critical. Hmmm… Firstly, I’ve always found this show interesting and the content is good and very helpful. Sadly, I too have been a target (I refuse to use the word “victim”) of stalking, not once but twice. So, unfortunately, I can relate to the horrific reality of the guests who are on the show. Second, it’s SO obvious that Jake only does the intro and may pop in occasionally and then doesn’t make an appearance until the very end. It’s not at all seamless and sounds like he’s not a real part of the hosting or podcast. It’s pretty much all Jaime which isn’t bad, it just seems like a bait and switch when Jake gets top billing. Lastly, episode #228 “Charming Harmer - Stalking Belinda” was almost more than I could handle, not because of the subject matter but because of the guest’s voice. Between the grating, raspy (not in a good way) voice to the HUNDREDS of times they said “Um, yeah” or “Yeah, um” or “Well, um.” If the “ums” were taken out of the episode it would have been half as long as it was. I understand that this is how someone speak but can’t/don’t you edit your content before you release it? Smooth it out somehow? Between these two incredibly distracting issues, I couldn’t concentrate on their story. Thank you for sharing these people’s stories. It’s so incredibly important to NOT cover up or downplay the true horror of this crime. I only wish there were platforms such as this when I was dealing with my own experiences.

This podcast has taught me the importance of drinking water when you’re being interviewed! I’ve listened to multiple interviews now where the guest obviously had a dry mouth, so they kept smacking and swallowing and talking with a dry, wavery voice. It is MADDENING, especially for people with misophonia! I’ve encountered it in YouTubers who smack over and over, and it’s even worse with a podcast because you only have the voice to focus on. To the people over the podcast: Make sure your guests are well lubricated! You have enough audio issues as it is. We can’t see them, so they should feel free to drink water! STOP THE SMACKING! It’s still happening! The plus of the podcast, though, is the theme and the fact that they give the space/time for the survivors to speak (asking them what their life was like growing up is ALWAYS superfluous, though, so they should skip it). The ads are disrespectful, though—it’s not disrespectful that they exist but their content and their style.

Jaimie’s audio is too much for me. I can’t stand the way it sounds like AM radio.

These stories are so interesting but I always find myself getti bored in the episodes because it’s so lack luster. Unless the person sharing their story is a good story teller, the episodes always fall short and lack a flow that keeps the listener captivated. These could be so so good but they always fall a little short unfortunately

Are they not allowed to upload these to YouTube anymore? I’d love to listen more often but that’s the only way I’m able to lately and I’m not sure why that stopped happening.

Thank you Jaimie, and Jake for continuing to bring awareness to the public about stalking, as it happens more then anyone knows, thank you for allowing these amazing strong warriors to have a voice, and sharing resources. I love the show, I love how you allow them to speak without interruption, and allow them to be heard. Love you guys!

That car salesman episode was the craziest scariest story I’ve ever heard!!!🤪

I love your show. However, the suzie episode was strange. There was no joining the story in any spots. It felt like the story was misding quite a few components. How does the constable even link to the group?

The editing has been funky lately and thus the stories are hard to follow and don’t have the impact that they used to. Past seasons there would be episodes that I wanted to share with my teens. This weeks episode it cuts out mid sentence of the interviewee and is suddenly like a different part of the story. I am not looking forward to new episodes like I used to. DV and harassment awareness is good, not everything is stalking.

I have a love hate relationship with this podcast. I love the idea of listening and learning about stalking but some episodes are all over the place that I can’t even comprehend them. The latest one- Custody and Chaos. It was back and forth back and forth, didn’t make any sense. Highly frustrating. Maybe offer the guest a written timeline of their events.

Some episodes are more compelling than others but they’re all amazing stories about amazing people living through some of the toughest situations. It’s an educational listen, helpful ways to keep yourself safe and what you can do if you find yourself in a similar situation.

I feel like the episodes can be all over the place. I agree with the feedback that one of the recent episodes was so bad, audio-quality-wise, that I couldn’t listen to it. The Libby episode… here’s the thing, I appreciate this podcast for highlighting a difficult topic that’s riddled with misconceptions and I do think it’s incredibly brave for these individuals to share their stories. But if you’re not going to share anything, why come on? I spent the entire Libby episode trying to figure out what actually happened. It was so vague and peppered with adjectives that I was getting frustrated. These emails were ‘SO inappropriate’ and everything was really really bad…. But not one specific example or detail of why. And please hear me, I’m not speaking from the perspective of ‘I wasn’t entertained’ because I fully understand and appreciate that these types of podcasts are meant to be informative and not entertaining. But it’s hard for me to empathize when I spent 40 minutes listening and still can’t tell you what actually happened.

Quite often it sounds like a bunch of questions have been given to someone to record on their own at home and then when they get the answers back, they edit together them asking questions and then replaying the persons pre-recorded responses. This especially seems possible when they ask three questions all at once, and then the person responds

It is so difficult to listen to this podcast because Jaime’s voice is not meant for this medium. It grates. I know a person cannot help their voice, but there are vocal trainings out there. Some podcasters have developed their speaking voice. Jaime just sounds so screechy. I am sure she is a lovely person but I would rather listen to anyone else talk. Sometimes I have to drastically lower the volume because her voice HURTS my ears.

The sound quality of Mimi is terrible. It sounds like Mimi has a mouthful of Marbles. I couldn’t listen to this episode.

I can’t understand half the words she’s saying. Is it just mean??

I started this podcast when it was brand new, taking off, and seemingly covering amazing stories of survivors and giving voices to those who are often ignored within our social justice systems. The first few seasons were amazing, most everyone’s stories were incredible to listen to and those episodes really saved my rating here. Well worth the time and listening. What made this podcast so charming in the beginning was the coverage of everyday people’s stories, those who otherwise would’ve remained voiceless and powerless now had a platform to heal through story telling. The shift into big names, tik tok famous, celeb stories (people who already have a platform) has sucked the life out of this podcast for me. Recently with exposure it seems like every episode is a plug for someone else. I understand sharing resources, and the desire to support others in their ventures, but I wish things were a little more selective in who gets this air time, and how often. Certain recent stories have not been compelling and I’ve questioned how much each story has been embellished by the teller in order to give themselves a more compelling background story for launching whatever book/podcast/business they’re starting. I hope after whatever payouts/sponsorships they receive after this season the podcast finds its roots again.

My empathy dissolves when the women— already seeing red flags and numerous signs that severe trouble is ahead— go ahead and have not one, not two but THREE children with their abuser/stalker!! (Looking at you, episode 211) Don’t add to the mess by bringing innocent children into it!

Rarely are these real stalking stories,more so domestic violence stories. It’s hard to have sympathy for these domestic violence when they never leave, even before living together or marraige they makes excuses and stay and stay and stay. I’ve been stalked twice,once by a customer from my work, another a store clerk who carded me for alcohol and got my address. Huge difference. This latest is only mad now because she found out he was having a affair. Give me a break. When his family told her they would hide her dead body for him did she leave….. NOPE.

Do you want to know why stalking has never been taken seriously and there’s still so much work to do? Between the church and legal system the patriarchy is alive and well. Women’s issues have never been taken very seriously by the male dominated legal and justice system from the judge, all the way down the continuum to the cop who shows up at your house to figure out what the victim of violence needs. Just ask Gabby Petito. Cops see a smooth talking bro and a female who won’t talk and the patriarchy saunters out of there and goes on it’s merry way. Sometimes, the laws make no sense (gee I wonder why) or cops can’t do anything because laws haven’t been passed to protect women (let’s face it, it’s mostly women). And, laws haven’t been passed because women are, basically, not considered important and Lord, the patriarchy doesn’t want women getting power! Look at the headlines in the news today and you can see that women have to be kept in their place. It’s been going on since whenever humans congregated together and created a social order. Might makes right - and a man who murders a woman, on average, gets a much lighter sentence than a woman who murders a man. I feel sorry for young women today, they think getting choked is a normal part of sex. But I digress, a little, anyway bless you guys and SPARC for fighting the good fight.

Jamie Beebee sounds like a vapid teenager with no interest nor empathy (think Paris Hilton), an awful voice, and her questions sound too scripted and contrived. When she says “I’m sorry for you loss” it’s so disingenuous I cringe. Deptula should lose Jamie IMHO; the podcast is much more relatable and interesting when he speaks. As a side note, the questions would be more effective if more interactive in the forum of a discussion.

Strictly boring. Strictly napping. I’m not sure what I’m missing with the hub bub but there are a lot better podcasts covering similar topics with way less preachy nonsense to check out. Go find you one.

I came over here from another podcast and I am soo disappointed in the quality of the interviews and storytelling. Also, the lady that wrote they book "My Rock My Hard Place" should have listened to all of the publishers that told her it wasn't a good book title. It's terrible and quite frankly sounds sexual. Maybe if she changed the title the book would have attracted a larger publisher.

This show was at one point moving and stirring, excellent life experiences from victims/ survivors from stalking. The last year it went horribly wrong. I do agree with some other reviewers recently that the stories this year or lack there are of, are very hard to follow, it’s a lot of people from tick tock, people plugging their social media, their books, or podcasts, shows etc. The first few seasons had substance and now it’s just people repeating themselves, the stories are rambling, they are confusing and seem to go no where. It’s just people rambling. Listen to the first few seasons and don’t waste your time on the last year. The show isn’t worth following anymore - sad but true

I’ve listened for a long time and to each episode and I feel like the last several months you’re struggling to find stories from victims who are able to articulate what happened to them well. Episode 203 was so scattered and the victim was clearly doing house chores or eating during the recording. Dogs were barking, doors were opening and closing, containers opening and closing. She honestly told the story as if she was intoxicated. I feel that you could do a better job keeping the victims on track with telling their stories and that would ultimately have a greater impact on people who may be facing the same situations.

Great show and content! Thanks for giving stalking victims a voice to be heard. I know I learn a lot from each. Appreciate both hosts taking heir time to put out the content weekly. Keep up the great work!

The stories that these stalking victims share are heartbreaking and shine light on a serious issue that needs more attention and legal ramifications. I commend them for their bravery in coming forward about these traumatic experiences. However, the hosts leave much to be desired. I find their line of questioning to be shallow and reflective of a 90s talk show, vs the hosts on true crime pods like “Morbid” or “Monsters who murder” who have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and offer informed and sensitive commentary. Also, the ads completely lack self-awareness: why are we subjected to Jamie’s diatribe about stupid bikinis when women are sharing experiences of being targeted and vulnerable? Why are we being asked to put in the code “stalking” for discounts, which cheapens the severity of the issue at hand? Would you ask one of Ted Bundy’s victims to type in “serial killer” for an insurance discount? It’s pretty repulsive IMO - put at least some level of thought into your format.

I came to this podcast via another one that is really good. The stories seem to be interesting but hard to follow because all of a sudden it seems that the story jumps and they are talking about someone who wasn’t mentioned before, and they are an important piece in the story I want the whole story, not pieces of a puzzle

A great way for victims to share their stories, but so many ads that it feel inappropriate/inappropriately read given the topic. Also the host Jamie has SUCH a loud and grating voice which makes it really hard to listen to. They need to figure out the audio, because her voice doesn’t sound like that based on an Instagram video I saw of her

I’m an OG listener, and I’ve always liked the stories and the awareness that the stories raise. But lately, HALF the show (sometimes more!) is an episode of another podcast! And not even a good one! It’s an annoying one that isn’t even remotely related with two frat boys talking about financial investments. Not only is this annoying and sneaky to your loyal listeners, but it really seems disrespectful to those voicing their stories. It’s pretty obvious that this project has changed from a service to the community that you both had interest in and passion for to a money grab. Idk how much more I can take before I unfollow.

Love this podcast. Hate the add on podcast. I’ll keep giving 1 star til it stops.

As a listener of this show, I really appreciate the way the hosts give survivors a platform to share their stories. However, I often feel that the two hosts are the wrong people to be providing this platform. The more ads you put in an episode, the more money you make from it. I often find that an ad is put right in the middle of a survivors most vulnerable moments which feels exploitative and greedy. I also feel that there could be a lot more care put into the interviewing process. The tone from the hosts often feels as if they are gawking at a museum exhibit rather than empathizing with someone who has gone through unimaginable circumstances. There may be more care taken by the hosts that gets edited out, but personally I would like to hear the hosts get vulnerable too. If you’re going to profit off of these peoples stories, you might as well put some emotion on the line. I don’t know. The survivors’ stories are well told and educational, but the hosts need to cut the ads in the middle of the stories and have more empathy with the survivors they seem to just be poking and prodding at.

Lately, the Second half of the show is an episode of a different podcast which is so annoying! Great show though.

Strictly Stalking is one of my favorite podcasts. I’ve been listening for years. The content is powerful and the first-hand narratives from Survivors of stalking is nail biting. We know the outcomes can be deadly. I work in mental health and these wounded, abusive personalities are out there. They need professional intervention but insight and motivation are generally poor. Kudos to the hosts, Survivors and advocates of domestic violence.

I want to start off my review by stating that I’ve been a listener since 2019 and will continue to listen as I find the content overall very interesting and relateable. However, there are frequently guests who seem to be on to just advertise their own social media platforms or they straight up have a personality disorder. I have experienced stalking related to DV in the past and often it’s more complex than just blaming the stalker. I wish the some of guests were more self aware, or the hosts had the integrity to not air interviews with individuals who are still mentally IN the situation or have not had enough time away from the situation to be able to present their story well. I hope the hosts consider this for their future guests.

I liked this podcast when it first started but I’m unsubscribing. Imagine being like “oh this episode sounds interesting and it’s over an long!” Only to find out the Strictly Stalking portion is 20 mins and then there is a 90 minute clip of a finance bro podcast at the end? If that’s the content I wanted, I’d find it.

I love the show, but sick of Jamie’s commercials always talking about vacations and bikinis. Imagine listening to someone’s dreadful story, and then suddenly here comes a cheesy bikini commercial or her taking about her latest vacation. Very cringe.

The podcast has potential but the hosts seem to have no real drive to be EDUCATED advocates, tell us why they chose this topic other than morbid fascination, learn about how to be more engaging hosts or at least sound like it, or respond to the critiques from their audience such as having.. hour long ads? Or another podcast secretly in their episode? I don’t know because I don’t listen to the ads but it is truly insane to have over half your posted episode be an ad or other podcast. Also selling bikinis is fine but to promote your own BIKINI line when so many of these stories are terrifying and serious and involve risk to peoples lives is beyond cringe. Both hosts need serious work on their podcasting skills and perhaps to question why they are even doing this (maybe it’s just for money at this point since they have so many ads and little to no improvement in many areas). Every criticism in reviews, like Jamie’s voice piercing through the sound beyond the inaneness of many of both of their comments, are true. Iappreciate some episodes and the GUESTS but it is weakly made and I don’t think the hosts care to improve.

Every single story is about a girl and a ex boyfriend. Half the time they go back several times, not exactly stalking but whatever….

One star because the audio is so bad

Great podcast but y’all HAVE to fix the volume. Jamie’s questions come in at piercing volume that is much much louder than the speaker and throws off the entire vibe.

I used to love this show. I still really want to like it but it’s gone straight downhill. Im subscribed and I can’t remember the last time I’ve finished an episode. It’s almost painful to listen to the interview questions. One of the host seems incredibly unprepared. Half of the questions are pointless and cause the guest to repeat themselves.

Jaimie, what is with the run on questions you ask? You didn’t always do this in years past. Just ask a question clearly and once. Your guests are smart enough to understand what you’re asking. And if they’re not, you can edit it down so we’re not listening to you say the same thing five times in one question. It’s become almost unbearable.

Women power crap. “Women need pepper spray and self defense because all men are rapists”. No thank you.

I honestly love listening to this podcast, but I feel like the people who are telling their stories are the only part that WORKS. One of the hosts I can handle, but the other needs to put a little more effort into sounding genuine and educated on these issues. Questions aren’t formed properly, there’s a lot of stuttering and just a lack of genuine emotion in their voice in general. It makes it very hard to keep listening when I can’t even take this host seriously. The most recent episode was so hard to listen to, I feel like at this point a communication class is needed or something. Just the language used is so unprofessional and hard to sit through, you might as well say nothing at all. There are no genuine questions asked that keep the flow conversational. It’s just a lot of “yeahs” and “that is hard” every single episode almost as if they’re just fillers in between the guest talking. I can tell there’s been a LITTLE more effort to ask questions, but it’s the same ones every single time. I don’t know how you get this many episodes in and are still the same…

When this podcast first started out it was much better for a couple reasons, Jake was more prepared with questions versus a monotone set of canned questions they do now. There was less interruptions. But now there is WAY more ads, to the point I rarely even bother to listen anymore. It’s one of the only podcasts that has such drawn out ads and it’s even more annoying given the ads association with the hosts.

The hosts spend more time hocking the one host’s bikini line in the commercials than they do speaking to their guests. Other than that & the lack of questions asked, it’s ok! Solid 3 stars.

Has potential but the host has trouble connecting with the guests and focuses solely on what feels like prepared questions being read from notecards