It's Ben a Week

Ben McDonnell
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"It’s Ben a Week" is an unfiltered, bold, and hilariously unpredictable podcast where Texas grit meets Hollywood wit. Hosted by barrel racer and photographer Ben McDonnell, it’s your weekly escape into outrageous stories, candid conversations, and unapologetic humor.

  1. Ben's Birthday Episode

    2 days ago ·  Video

    Ben's Birthday Episode

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben celebrates his birthday, Pride Month, and something he’s never officially done before… coming out. In this deeply personal solo episode, Ben officially shares publicly that he’s gay and opens up about the journey it took to get there. From growing up in a small town, being bullied in high school, and struggling with self-acceptance, to finally learning how to fully love himself, this is one of the most vulnerable episodes yet. Ben talks about the importance of Pride Month, why LGBTQ+ visibility still matters, and the pressure so many people feel to hide who they are. He also opens up about family dynamics, internalized fear, dating closeted men, and the process of finally becoming comfortable enough to live authentically. The episode also features the return of AJ for a hilarious and heartfelt aftershow conversation about coming out stories, relationships, pool party chaos, Fireball disasters, and why gay people truly do throw the best parties. This episode is funny, emotional, chaotic, honest, and a reminder that everyone deserves to be loved exactly as they are. In this episode: Ben officially comes out publicly for the first time  Why Pride Month still matters  Growing up gay in a small town  Bullying, self-acceptance, and learning to love himself  Family struggles and fear around coming out  The reality of dating closeted men  AJ shares his own coming out story  Wild birthday pool party stories and Fireball chaos  Why everyone deserves to live authentically  🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    29 min
  2. Ben Leaving Everything Behind (ft. Ruby)

    26 May ·  Video

    Ben Leaving Everything Behind (ft. Ruby)

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben is joined by his longtime friend Ruby for a chaotic, emotional, and unexpectedly inspiring conversation about moving across the world, starting over, heartbreak, and learning to embrace discomfort.   After spending the last two years living in London, Ruby is officially back in Texas — fresh off a breakup, a cross-country move, and a completely uncertain future. The two reflect on how much has changed since they first recorded a “practice episode” together years ago that never aired.   Ben and Ruby dive into: moving to new cities without knowing anyoneleaving behind horses, careers, relationships, and comfort zonesthe emotional reality of living abroadbreakups that ultimately changed their lives for the betterwhy travel changes your entire perspective on lifeand how sometimes the scariest decisions become the most rewarding onesThey also spiral into hilarious conversations about: the new “rat virus” panicconspiracy theoriespandemic flashbackseconomy flight traumaAustralians vs. AmericansFacebook pub crawls in Londonpirate ship party boats in Turkeyand why Texans treated COVID VERY differently than Los Angeles.  The episode also explores the pressure people feel to stay in their hometowns, fear of failure, and why taking risks can completely reshape your life. This episode is funny, honest, emotional, chaotic, and a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do is book the flight and figure the rest out later. 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    51 min
  3. The Most Personal Thing I’ve Ever Ben Part Of

    19 May ·  Video

    The Most Personal Thing I’ve Ever Ben Part Of

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben does something completely different. For the first time ever, Ben is sharing the audio/video from "I",  a documentary he created nearly 10 years ago while living in Los Angeles. The film premiered at the Twin Cities Film Festival with three sold out screenings and became one of the most meaningful projects he’s ever worked on.   The documentary explores identity, trauma, addiction, grief, self-love, religion, sexuality, mental health, and survival through deeply personal interviews with people from all different walks of life. The unique concept behind the project? Throughout the interviews, viewers only see the subjects’ eyes — highlighting raw emotion, vulnerability, and humanity before finally revealing the full person behind each story.   This emotional and powerful episode features stories about: addiction and recoverysuicide and griefbeing transgenderdrag and identitylosing childrenbody image strugglesfamily abandonmentreligion and faithsurviving traumaself acceptanceresilience and healingBen also reflects on creating the documentary while living in LA, why the project mattered so much to him, and how revisiting it 10 years later still impacts him today.   If you are listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, you can now watch the full documentary thanks to new video podcast support.   This episode is emotional, inspiring, heartbreaking, hopeful, and a reminder that every single person is carrying a story you may never fully see on the surface. In this episode: Ben shares his documentary I for the first time on the podcast  The emotional concept behind filming only people’s eyes  Stories of addiction, overdose, and recovery  Conversations about being transgender and drag identity  Losing children, suicide, grief, and resilience  Body image struggles and self acceptance  Why trauma can sometimes lead to purpose and healing  The message that everyone deserves compassion and understanding  This episode contains discussions of suicide, addiction, overdose, grief, mental health struggles, and trauma that may be difficult for some listeners. Please listen with care and prioritize your well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24/7. 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    31 min
  4. She's Ben Kidnapped While Pregnant (ft. Jen Kirk)

    12 May ·  Video

    She's Ben Kidnapped While Pregnant (ft. Jen Kirk)

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben sits down with his friend Jen Kirk for an emotional and eye-opening Mother’s Day episode unlike any other. At just 16 years old, Jen became pregnant and made the heartbreaking decision to place her son up for adoption. But this isn’t just a story about adoption — it’s a story about survival, sacrifice, family, trauma, and what motherhood can really look like.   Jen opens up about navigating an open adoption in the late 1980s, choosing her son’s adoptive parents herself, and the emotional reality of watching him grow up from a distance through letters and photographs.   The conversation takes a shocking turn when Jen reveals that during her pregnancy, she was allegedly hidden away in a remote cabin after her stepmother attempted to take the baby for herself — leading to a terrifying situation involving private investigators, police, and a dramatic rescue coordinated by her mother.   Ben and Jen also discuss: the emotional side of adoption that nobody talks aboutabortion, choice, and societal judgmentreconnecting with her son 25 years laterblended families and healingthe lifelong emotional impact of adoptionwhy there’s little support for birth mothersand how everything eventually came full circleNow, nearly 40 years later, Jen has a close relationship with her biological son, his children, and his adoptive family — proving that families can take many different forms.   This episode is emotional, shocking, heartbreaking, healing, and a powerful reminder that motherhood is never one-size-fits-all. 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    57 min
  5. The Teacher Who Believed in Ben (ft. Brenda Ramin)

    5 May ·  Video

    The Teacher Who Believed in Ben (ft. Brenda Ramin)

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben sits down with someone who changed his life — his ninth grade science teacher, Brenda Ramin. From getting kicked out of Catholic school to convincing a teacher to secretly take him to California, this episode is full of wild stories, chaos, and the kind of support that can change everything. Ben and Brenda reflect on their 20+ year relationship, the infamous Hollywood trip that changed everything, and what it was like being “that kid” in high school who didn’t quite fit the mold. They dive into sneaking into gated communities, getting chickenpox during a headshot trip, pushing back on authority, and how one teacher saw something in Ben that others didn’t. This episode is hilarious, nostalgic, and a reminder that sometimes all it takes is one person believing in you to completely change your path. In this episode: Getting kicked out of Catholic school and transitioning to public school  The teacher who actually understood Ben  The secret California trip that could’ve gotten her fired  Sneaking into a gated Malibu neighborhood to find The OC house  Getting chickenpox in LA during headshot week  High school rebellion, authority issues, and being “that kid”  Doing the Single Ladies dance at prom  Why one supportive teacher can change everything  🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    50 min
  6. Customer Service Has Ben a Nightmare

    28 Apr ·  Video

    Customer Service Has Ben a Nightmare

    Some weeks are great… and some weeks just push you to your breaking point. On this solo episode of It’s Ben A Week, Ben is back with a full-on rant — and honestly, it’s been building. Between chaotic customer service, confusing systems that make no sense, and interactions that leave you questioning humanity, this week had Ben asking: what is wrong with people? From a dentist appointment that somehow turned into a full-blown front desk disaster, to a restaurant experience that defies all logic, to the ongoing saga of Starbucks mobile orders that apparently no one understands — nothing is safe this week. Ben dives into: Showing up early to a 9 AM dentist appointment… that magically became 10 AMWhy front desk customer service can make or break a businessThe chaos of waiting, being ignored, and being told you’re wrong (when you’re not)Whether dentists are doing way too many X-raysA restaurant experience that makes zero sense from start to finishBeing rushed to order… and then completely ignoredThe logic behind ordering a tall drink (and not getting more liquid?)Why Starbucks mobile orders continue to be a universal struggleInternet trolls, random hate comments, and why people go out of their way to be negativeEating shit on a Segway and the aftermath no one talks aboutGetting ready to film a new movie and the chaos leading up to itThis episode is chaotic, relatable, unfiltered, and exactly what you need if you’ve ever dealt with frustrating people and thought: there’s no way this is real. 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    23 min
  7. The Fire Has Ben Building (ft. Eleven)

    21 Apr ·  Video

    The Fire Has Ben Building (ft. Eleven)

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben is joined by returning guest Eleven for a conversation that blends astrology, manifestation, personal growth, and real-life chaos. From the “Year of the Fire Horse” energy to feeling like everything is almost about to take off, Ben and Eleven unpack what it means to be in a season of building, waiting, and trusting timing. They dive into the tension between staying grounded and craving freedom — from life on the ranch and daily responsibilities to the desire for spontaneity, travel, and expansion. The conversation expands into: • Astrology, Aries season, and collective energy shifts  • Why so many people feel overwhelmed right now  • Nervous system regulation and finding balance in chaos  • Hot and cold therapy, dopamine, and discipline  • What it really takes to hold success and “bigger capacity”  • Manifestation, creativity, and stepping into your purpose  • Dating culture, relationships, and intimacy in acting Eleven also leads a powerful moment of intention-setting and pulls a card for listeners — centered around destiny, creativity, and believing in your own path. Plus, Breaking Point returns with Ben’s rant about Starbucks mobile orders — because even in a spiritual awakening… some things still need to be said. If you’re feeling stuck, on the edge of something bigger, or trying to find clarity in a chaotic world, this episode will hit. Connect with Eleven: Instagram: @iamelevenxx Email for ceremonies: magic@iamelevenxx.com 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    50 min
  8. Connection Has Ben Missing (ft. Melissa Daniels)

    14 Apr ·  Video

    Connection Has Ben Missing (ft. Melissa Daniels)

    This week on It’s Ben A Week, Ben is joined by Melissa Daniels, a producer turned creator who left her life in Los Angeles to go on a cross-country “reset tour” — driving city to city and hosting potluck dinners with strangers. What started as a personal creative reset quickly turned into something much bigger: a social experiment around connection, loneliness, and what community actually looks like today. Melissa shares how burnout, the LA wildfires, and years of helping others execute their creative visions pushed her to finally step outside her comfort zone and create something of her own. Together, they dive into: • Why people feel more disconnected than ever (despite social media) • The difference between online connection and real-life relationships • Hosting intimate dinners with strangers across the country • How vulnerability creates instant community • Why discomfort is necessary for growth • “Fake it till you make it” vs “practice it until you become it” • Self-love, emotional regulation, and breaking negative patterns Ben also shares his perspective on modern relationships, social media culture, and why genuine connection feels harder to find than ever. Plus, Breaking Point returns with a rant about people not responding to emails and Melissa’s nightmare Airbnb experience while road-tripping with her cat. If you’ve been craving real connection, meaningful conversations, or a reset in your own life, this episode will hit home. Connect with Melissa: The Reset Tour Project: http://www.theresettourproject.com/ Find her on instagram here Melissa is documenting her journey across the country through her reset tour, hosting community dinners and creating space for real, meaningful connection. She’s currently sharing updates through her personal Instagram and her mindfulness-focused page. 🎧 Subscribe to It’s Ben a Week New episodes every week filled with unfiltered stories, wild guests, and brutally honest laughs. Hosted by photographer and professional barrel racer Ben McDonnell. 📍 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon | Wherever you get your podcasts 🔗 Connect with Ben: Instagram: @itsbenaweek TikTok: @itsbenaweek Website: itsbenaweek.com 💬 Want to be on the show? Submit your story or pitch at itsbenaweek.com

    40 min
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About

"It’s Ben a Week" is an unfiltered, bold, and hilariously unpredictable podcast where Texas grit meets Hollywood wit. Hosted by barrel racer and photographer Ben McDonnell, it’s your weekly escape into outrageous stories, candid conversations, and unapologetic humor.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben McDonnell
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 It's Ben a Week
  • Show Website
    It's Ben a Week

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