With over 10 million monthly listeners, Steven Bartlett’s Diary of A CEO podcast is one the biggest and best podcasts currently available to listen to.
Dedicated to exploring the backgrounds and learnings of some of the world’s most interesting people, the podcast is well-known for its candid approach.
Not afraid to ask the tough questions, Bartlett does well to put his guests at ease before getting them to open up about the challenges they have faced in life. If you don’t already listen to Diary of A CEO, you should start to.
If you’ve ever wanted an unparalleled insight into the minds and lives of some of the most influential people on Earth, it’s definitely the podcast for you.
To make sure you don’t miss out on the best podcast episodes and most fascinating guests, we’ve decided to put together a list of the best episodes.
In this article, we’ll take you through that list!
Who Is Steven Barlett?
Before we get into our list, it’s important to know more about the host. After all, it’s him that makes the podcast a success.
Diary of A CEO is hosted by Steven Bartlett. Steven Barlett is a 30-year-old British entrepreneur, businessman, and television personality.
Bartlett co-founded Social Chain and Media Chain, two companies that made the businessman a lot of money.
At the age of 27, he sold Social Chain in order to pursue other ventures. Forbes reported that he now has a wealth of $98 million following the sale of his business.
More recently. Bartlett became a host on the popular British TV show Dragons Den, a program in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a group of wealthy individuals, hoping to receive investment.
In 2017, Bartlett started his Diary of A CEO podcast. That podcast quickly rose to fame, with millions of people tuning in every month to hear the latest stories from world-famous people.
Why Should You Listen To The Diary of A CEO?
So, if you don’t already listen to Diary of A CEO, why should you? Well, the answer is pretty simple, Diary of A CEO is one of the most interesting, open, and honest podcasts available to listen to.
Bartlett’s friendly, yet no-nonsense approach to every conversation ensures his audience is treated to fascinating and occasionally hard-hitting stories from the world’s most influential people.
This candid style of podcasting gives us unparalleled insight into the lives of some incredibly interesting people.
The podcast also opens our eyes to the challenges and struggles people go through. This is something other podcasts simply don’t do as well.
Finally, the guests on the Diary of A CEO are extremely varied. Bartlett has interviewed sports stars, actors, politicians, musicians, life coaches, businessmen and women, and so much more.
This variety leads to some pretty awesome stories.
Now you know more, let’s look at the podcast’s most unmissable episodes.
#1 Terry Crews
We’ll start this list of episodes with the Diary of A CEO episode that saw Terry Crews take the hot seat. Terry Crews is one of the most loveable, entertaining celebrities in the world.
Known for playing in the NFL, his acting career, immense voice, and incredible physique, most of us would have expected his episode to be full of laughs and hilarious stories.
However, the Terry Crews episode actually turned out to be one of, if not, the heaviest episodes of the podcast to date.
What can be a challenging listen at times, Crews opens up to Bartlett about the disturbing childhood he endured.
He discusses the sensitive topic of being sexually assaulted by a Hollywood Executive, the abusive relationship he had with his father, and the time he ended up in a physical altercation with him.
Crews even opens up about his battle with porn addiction, which almost ended his marriage.
All in all, his episode of Diary of A CEO is an inspiring listen that really makes you think about what people actually go through.
To the outside world, Terry Crews is a hilarious man that has it all, but in reality, he’s had a serious battle to make it to where he is now.
#2 Piers Morgan
Famous journalist and controversial character Piers Morgan made for an interesting episode of Diary of A CEO.
A man that has never stayed out of the headlines for long, Piers Morgan is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated guests on the podcast.
Millions of people hate him and millions more love him, but no matter what, Piers Morgan always stands by his views, thoughts, and feelings, never wavering for a second.
As you can imagine, this makes for an interesting interview.
Showing Steven’s ability to invite a wide variety of guests, no matter his beliefs, creates a truly unbiased podcast.
In this episode, Steven and Piers discuss Piers’ extremely varied career and the controversies he has been involved in.
In the episode, Piers is surprisingly open and honest, happily responding to any question Steven asks.
Topics such as cancel culture, mental resilience, mental health, and even veganism are debated. Steven even manages to ask Piers what makes him cry.
It doesn’t matter whether you love or hate Piers Morgan, the insight this episode gives listeners into his life is intriguing, surprising, and at times frustrating.
Either way, his interview makes for great listening.
#3 Jimmy Carr
The next episode of Diary of A CEO that you can’t afford to miss is the episode where Bartlett interviews Jimmy Carr.
One of the biggest comedians in Britain, if not the world, Jimmy Carr is an interesting guy, with plenty of stories to tell.
While most of us associate Jimmy Car with comedy, we don’t know much else about him. This Diary of A CEO episode gives us the perfect chance to learn more.
What’s quite surprising about this episode of the podcast is how it shows another side of Jimmy Carr.
In a setting where you thought he’d be full of jokes, he actually becomes quite serious, talking about the challenges he has faced in life.
Showing a completely different side to his normally sarcastic self, Jimmy talks to Steven about his rather boring, quite normal life that he lived before he made it in comedy.
He talks about the earlier years of his life that he spent working a dull office job, before going on to talk about his own journey of self-improvement.
During the podcast, Steven and Jimmy talk about the ups and downs Jimmy has faced and the myths behind working hard.
Jimmy also discusses how to get more done by working smarter not harder.
Of course, the podcast has some laughs too, but you’ll be surprised by just how inspiring Jimmy’s story is.
He reveals how an ordinary person like himself can make it far by staying committed and by trying new things.
#4 Lewis Capaldi
Right now, Lewis Capaldi is one of the biggest musicians and singers in the world. With his last album going 4x platinum, Steven Bartlett did a great job of getting him on the podcast.
A truly loveable character, Capaldi is known for his honest and authentic style, and of course his fantastic sense of humor.
As a result, this episode of Diary of A CEO is full of laughs, wonderful stories, and honest conversations.
While the episode shows us the wonderful sense of humor Lewis has, it also reveals the vulnerable side of the musician.
Coming on the back of Lewis’ three-year hiatus from music, he shares his own personal struggles with the world for the first time. He bravely opens up about the struggles he faces with anxiety.
Discussing how his anxiety totally cripples him at times, Steven does really well to put Lewis at ease whilst he shares his inspiring story.
Lewis reveals the intense pressure that comes along with being a world-famous singer, and even explains how he hates making albums.
The episode is full of ups and downs, taking the listener on a rollercoaster of emotions.
By the end, you’ll feel nothing but love, emotion, and appreciation for Lewis Capaldi.
#5 Marie Forleo
If you’re feeling in the mood for a more thought-provoking podcast episode, you have to check out the Diary of A CEO episode that features Marie Forleo.
Marie Forleo is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the biggest life coaches in the world.
Forleo offers world-leading advice on a range of different topics including relationships, overcoming fear, and developing a growth mindset.
From building an executive-coaching business to releasing fitness DVDs, Marie does it all.
In this episode of Diary of A CEO, Steven dives into the life of Marie Forleo before giving her time to give the audience advice.
The episode looks into Marie’s early years, learning more about what made her the person she is today.
Steven then moves on to ask Marie some serious questions regarding her own struggles and the stigma that surrounds female motivators.
The whole interview is very thought-provoking, making the listener think about certain aspects of their own life.
Some of the key topics that are discussed include aspirations, communication in relationships, redefining your own success, perfectionism, romance, and following your intuition.
Compared to other episodes on the podcast, we certainly feel that this is the episode that engages with the audience the most.
#6 Jordan Peterson
Next up, we have the episode that saw Jordan Peterson stop by Steven’s podcast. Dr. Jordan Peterson is an academic, psychologist, author, and public intellectual.
Currently, he is one of the most famous and prolific public speakers in the world.
As a result of his massive online following, impressive speeches, and willingness to discuss sensitive topics, Peterson was one of the podcast’s most requested guests.
Steven Bartlett did brilliantly by getting him to sit down with him.
In this episode, Jordan shares his story of incredible recovery from health troubles, whilst also sharing how others can do the same.
He tells listeners how they should stand up for themselves and explains how he derives meaning from the work he finds himself doing.
One interesting part of the episode is when Jordan and Steve talk about what it takes to be truthful, open, and honest even when people might not like what you have to say.
Whether you agree with what Dr. Peterson says or not, it’s refreshing to see such honest responses.
It’s also nice to see Steven ask simpler questions like “how are you doing?”. These simpler conversations are sometimes the best.
#7 Jessie J
Another pop star that has paid the Diary of A CEO studio a visit is Jessie J. Incredibly successful with her music, Jessie has sold millions of records all over the world.
Her career has also seen her perform at the London Olympics and take her place as a judge on The Voice.
However, Jessie’s career hasn’t always been the smoothest of rides, as this honest episode of Diary of A CEO reveals.
In her episode, Jessie opens up about some of the lowest points in her personal life and career.
She talks about her first record deals and how they made her feel, how a recent miscarriage impacted her relationship, and what she plans to do in the future.
It doesn’t matter if you know much about Jessie J already or follow her music, this episode is one of the most emotional and impactful podcast episodes you’ll ever listen to.
Jessie’s openness and willingness to share is truly inspirational, with the listeners gaining a much bigger insight into the life of pop stars. Just because life looks great doesn’t always mean it is.
This is also a good listen for anyone that has faced any personal battles in their life. Jessie’s ability to keep going could give you the inspiration you need to fight your own battles.
#8 Maisie Williams
Next up we have episode 181 of Diary of A CEO. This episode featured Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams.
Anyone that watched Game of Thrones will know Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. As a child actress, Maisie Williams has an amazing story to tell.
Becoming one of the biggest actresses in the world at the age of 11 meant that Maisie hasn’t known a normal life since she was just a child.
In this sit-down interview, Maisie discusses what it’s like to be cast in one of the biggest shows in the world at such a young age.
Now just 25, Maisie talks to Steven about her journey so far and for the first time reveals how hard her start in life was.
As a result of issues close to home and barriers she had to overcome to find success, Maisie has struggled with mental health issues for many years.
Maisie dives into the doubts those around her had about her success and how she had to find her own path despite what others said.
Her story is an inspiring one that will make you feel proud of her courage and honesty.
#9 Ali Abdaal
This episode of Steven Bartlett’s podcast quickly became one of the most popular, despite not featuring a world-renowned celebrity.
This episode features an appearance from one of the show’s best guests to date, Ali Abdaal.
Ali Abdaal is a productivity expert. Why was he on the podcast you ask? Well, as an expert in his field, he is in a great position to share lots of tips and tricks with the Diary of A CEO audience. That’s exactly what he did in this episode.
During his interview, Ali and Steven talk about key topics such as procrastination. They look at how procrastination might actually be a healthy thing, but also how to curb it in order to enhance productivity.
After giving the audience plenty of advice, Steven asks Ali harder-hitting questions about his own productivity and whether Ali thinks he is productive or not. The whole interview is very thought-provoking.
#10 The Liver King
The final episode on our list features the popular, yet extremely controversial internet sensation, Liver King. Liver King is a mountain of a man that advocates an ‘ancestral lifestyle’.
It is through this ancestral lifestyle, which includes eating raw meat every day that the Liver King claims made him the Hercules he is.
This way of life is disputed by many nationalists, but that doesn’t stop the Liver King from saying it transformed his life.
A lot of people also claim that the Liver King takes performance-enhancing drugs to increase his muscle size.
With so much controversy surrounding this social media star, you can imagine how juicy and raw this episode is.
In the episode, Liver King opens up about the criticism he faces on a daily basis. He also brings up the crippling anxiety he faces for the first time.
Steven then talks to Liver King about how the rest of the family fits in with his diet. We start to learn how life hasn’t actually been easy for this man mountain.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the best episodes of the Diary of A CEO podcast. As you can see from our list, there are plenty of juicy episodes to get your teeth stuck into.
The Diary of A CEO podcast is thought-provoking, emotional, open, honest, and at times hilarious.
It is one of, if not the best podcasts in the world for touching upon sensitive topics and traumatic events.
Steven Bartlett does a great job at getting his guests to open up, while the guest’s willingness to be open and honest about their lives makes for inspiring lessons.
Now you have this list at your fingertips, why don’t you start giving each episode a listen, we know you won’t be disappointed.
