Independent Australian Podcast Network Cracks US Apple Podcasts Top 30 With New Show

Independent podcast network Mashed Pumpkin Productions has achieved a significant milestone in the US market, with its newly launched series What I Survived charting at number 31 in the overall US Apple Podcasts chart, number one in Documentary Podcasts, and number four in Society and Culture, all within its first 47 days of release.

The show, hosted and produced by network founder Jack Laurence, launched on February 18, 2026 and has accumulated over 440,000 downloads since launch. In its peak week the show recorded over 200,000 downloads in seven days, with a single day high of 61,000 downloads following an editorial feature on the Apple Podcasts US homepage.

The achievement is notable given the company operates independently out of Queensland, competing directly against shows produced by major US networks including iHeartPodcasts, Wondery, NPR, Barstool Sports and the New York Times.

Jack says: “It’s honestly wild to see my show sitting amongst some serious heavy hitters in the world of US podcasting, it’s a market I’ve been trying to crack for the last four years, the fact that WIS is the show to do it was honestly very unexpected”

‘What I Survived’ documents the stories of survival and psychological recovery from extreme ordeals including plane hijackings, hostage situations, shipwrecks and life-threatening accidents. The show’s US audience accounts for approximately 74% of total listenership, with New York, Los Angeles and Chicago among its top listening cities.

The milestone comes as Mashed Pumpkin Productions crossed 15 million all-time downloads across its network of shows, which also includes long-running true crime series One Minute Remaining, Crime at Bedtime, and Mysteries at Bedtime. The network recorded 868,000 downloads in the past 30 days, representing 18% year on year growth.

On the success of his catalogue of shows Jack attributes it to a number of things including his commercial radio background: “Having worked in radio for 15 years definitely gave me an advantage in the podcast space but there’s also an element of luck! Landing that feature on the US Apple platform was totally unexpected but I’m extremely grateful to the Apple team for the support as well as the incredible audience who have supported me for the past three and a half years.”

What I Survived Season Two is scheduled for release in May 2026.

About Mashed Pumpkin Productions Mashed Pumpkin Productions is an independent podcast network based in Queensland, Australia, founded by Jack Laurence in September 2022. The network produces investigative and narrative audio content across multiple genres.