Need a weekend listen? Try the Dear Alana podcast

Podcasts have truly taken on a life of their own but Dear Alana feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to podcasts.

When I first heard about Dear Alana and saw its cover art, I was immediately intrigued by it and gave it a listen. From there, I was entranced by Alana’s story, and learning about how the host, Simon was able to relate to her was shocking.

While I’ll get into the podcast in a second, I’d be remiss to not mention that Dear Alana ended up premiering at #1 on Apple Podcasts and has gotten over one million downloads. It’s clear everyone is just as entranced as I am and for good reason.

Whether you’re a fan of podcasts or just want to fall into a story you won’t forget, you’ll need to add Dear Alana to your podcast queue next.

Dear Alana is a weekend must-listen if you’re a fan of podcasts.

The podcast is hosted by Simon Kent Fung and it’s him as he unravels Alana’s story while also mixing in some of his own life experiences. While some podcasts seem to come from an odd place, this one feels respectable about Alana and everything she went through. Sometimes, these cases can get sensationalized but it’s clear Simon put a lot of love and care into what he was doing.

As for Alana, the podcast focuses on her life, growing up and then as a teenager which is where things start to shift for her. She becomes a devout member of the Catholic Church and from there, Alana really battles with herself and everyone around her. She’s struggling with her sexuality and even attempts to do conversion therapy to stop her attraction to women. It’s hard to listen to but shines a light on how things slip through the cracks.

Simon mentioned it a few times in his podcast but his journey is similar to Alana’s. As you listen, everything starts to fall into place yet there are still some looming questions. We do know that Alana committed suicide in 2019 at the age of 24 but there is no definite reason why and it’s utterly heartbreaking.

Regardless, Alana’s story grips you and won’t let you go which is how I picture Alana as a person. She seemed like such a loving and friendly soul who would immediately become your friend and make you feel welcome. I think that if you’re looking for something to listen to over the weekend, then you should start with Dear Alana.

Of course, make sure you’re able to handle the subject matter as this podcast talks about suicide, bullying, conversion therapy, depression, and more. If you’re able to, I believe that you’ll get something out of listening to Dear Alana or at least, be able to talk about Alana’s story which is what she and her family would want.

You can listen to Dear Alana at your favorite podcast outlet and I’ve included the video trailer for the podcast below.