Joe Rogan is facing a fresh wave of criticism from longtime fans, with many believing the podcast has reached an all-time low. The spark this time? An episode starring Graham Linehan, an Irish comedic writer. While Linehan’s career includes the renowned sitcom The IT Crowd and other masterpieces, his presence on the Joe Rogan Experience did not go over well with many fans—not because of who he is, but because of what the episode represented to them.

A Reddit post that quickly gained traction read, “This recent episode with Graham Linehan honestly feels like rock bottom.” The fan accused the show of devolving into political cliches, describing the debate as more of an “echo chamber of grievance politics” rather than the nuanced back-and-forth that had made the podcast so interesting.

This sentiment was echoed by a flood of user comments. “I hate to be this person, but… Joe sold out,” one user commented, while another added, “Joe is done! I can only hate listen at this point.” One fan even claimed, “This guy is so weird. He sabotaged his own career.”

More casual listeners admitted to tuning out more often than not: “I don’t know how anyone listens to him consistently now,” and “I listen to roughly one out of every ten episodes. Even then it can be hard to finish.” Another chimed in: “I often switch to something else mid-episode if it’s not particularly interesting to me.” Despite the criticism, not all responses were negative.

Some fans, however, considered Linehan to be an interesting guest, at least from a creative standpoint. “He was a great guest, but I wish he talked about IT Crowd more—that is a great show,” one listener said. Another simply stated, “I thought he was alright.” Yet even these reactions were tempered, showing that, while the guest piqued their interest, the overall vibe of the show still didn’t win them over. So, the growing concern among listeners indicates a deeper shift in the show’s identity.

The Joe Rogan Experience, which was once known for exploring everything from science and comedy to combat sports and wellness, is now accused of being repetitive and alienating. Maybe that is why, despite being at the top of the podcasting chain, the show is facing a slow decline that many may not notice.

Joe Rogan’s podcast is suffering a decline in viewership

The dissatisfaction among long-time listeners, as evidenced in the aforementioned Reddit post,  now appears to be reflected in hard numbers. After topping Spotify’s rankings throughout 2023 and most of 2024, The Joe Rogan Experience fell to second in January 2025, then third in February, its lowest recent position. This decrease coincides with competitors such as MeidasTouch, which surpassed Rogan with 57.5 million downloads in February alone.

That is a massive 109% increase compared to JRE’s 51.5 million, which increased by only 25%. Though this does not mean that Rogan’s audience has abandoned him, as Edison Research still ranks JRE as the most listened-to podcast in the United States for Q1 and Q2 of 2025. However, its dominance on Spotify is definitely slipping away.

According to some sources, the show’s streams have plummeted by roughly a third on several platforms, suggesting the plateau isn’t just temporary. Interestingly, Rogan’s ratings remain high (4.7 out of 5 with nearly a million reviews), but his competitors are gaining pace. And when momentum slows, even giants start looking vulnerable.