Giggly Squad Rises in U.S. Podcast Scene Amid Surging Female Friendships

NEW YORK, NY — In a podcast landscape dominated by male voices, two female hosts are making a significant impact with their show, Giggly Squad. Paige DeSorbo, a fashion influencer, and Hannah Berner, a comedian, rose to fame on Bravo‘s Summer House before launching the podcast in 2020. Their lighthearted take on life, love, and friendship has resonated with listeners, making it a top-ranked show on Apple Podcasts.

The duo recently wrapped a successful national tour and released their first book, How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously. Their appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon served as a major promotional platform for the book, illustrating their growing influence in pop culture.

With Giggly Squad appealing primarily to Gen Z women, their fans affectionately call themselves “Gigglers.” Unlike many podcasts today, the show feels more like a casual conversation among close friends, which helps cultivate a sense of intimacy with the audience. “It really just feels like you’re FaceTiming your best friends,” says Alexa Toback, a passionate fan of the show.

This sense of camaraderie plays a pivotal role in the success of women-led podcasts. DeSorbo and Berner’s approach to discussing personal health issues, like Berner’s PMS or DeSorbo’s UTI, reflects the ongoing trend of intimacy in female-led media. “It’s a conversation you’re having with your friends every week,” says Toback.

While Giggly Squad and similar podcasts provide entertainment, they also underscore how female friendships have become a commercial enterprise, navigating dynamics of empowerment and authenticity. The genre has evolved from its rudimentary origins, marked by shows like Call Your Girlfriend with Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow, which also captured the essence of long-distance friendship.

Recent years have particularly seen a rise in this “group chat” podcast phenomenon, with new voices adding to the landscape. Lemme Say This, hosted by Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, and The Ringer’s Jam Session, featuring Amanda Dobbins and Juliet Litman, showcase this trend. The off-the-cuff, relatable dialogue resonates with younger audiences on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Podcasts featuring family dynamics, such as The Toast with sisters Claudia and Jackie Oshry, also reflect the emotional and relatable depth that contemporary listeners crave. Shows like House of Maher, hosted by Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and her sisters, embrace this familial connection and are rapidly climbing the Apple Podcasts charts.

Vulture’s podcast critic Nicholas Quah underscores the growing prominence of this genre, attributing its popularity to simpler production values. “These loosely structured, largely unscripted podcasts are everywhere because they’re cheap, easy to record, and efficient,” he explains.

As hosts like DeSorbo and Berner navigate their personal lives in public spaces, their podcasts have become platforms for sharing personal news and events that create a direct feedback loop with fans. Following DeSorbo’s breakup with Craig Conover and Berner’s public controversy during an event, listeners eagerly anticipate updates during episodes as they provide a blend of gossip, engagement, and relatable content.

According to Quah, embracing candid conversations around intimate issues is key to how these female-led shows foster a connection with their audience. “They’re sites of female empowerment,” he explains, allowing women a space to have raw, unfiltered discussions that resonate deeply with listeners in a relatable way.

The buzz around Giggly Squad illustrates how the show transcends simple entertainment; it provides community, connection, and comfort for listeners navigating challenges in their own lives. As the podcasting landscape continues to evolve, DeSorbo and Berner’s model may well shape the future of storytelling among women, solidifying their role in creating spaces for collective female narratives.