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Ben Kissel
Kissel at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Benjamin Grant Kissel

(1981-07-21) July 21, 1981 (age 43)
Fargo, North Dakota
Other namesBenjamin Kissel
Occupations
Years active2006–present
Height6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Websitebenkisselchannel.com

Benjamin Grant Kissel (born July 21, 1981) is an American podcaster. He appeared on The Last Podcast on the Left which discussed serial killers, dark history, and true crime stories. He also appeared on the podcasts Roundtable of Gentlemen[1] and hosted Abe Lincoln's Top Hat.[2] In September of 2023, following allegations of domestic violence and emotional abuse, Kissel was dismissed from his role as co-host of The Last Podcast On The Left, and Last Podcast Network announced that he would no longer be involved with the network on October 13, 2023.[3]

Early life

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Benjamin Grant Kissel was born in Fargo North Dakota[4] on July 21, 1981.

He is the son of a German immigrant father, Bengt Kissel who along with his mother, Laura, raised him in a deeply religious home.[5][6]

Ben was the youngest of three boys and was raised in a controversial church called Daystar. The family eventually moved to Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

His parents were very politically active in the church and Pro-Life movement[7] with family dynamics being complicated by the fact that his two older brothers were gay[5] and the family was frequently taking in foster children.

Ben attended Pacelli High school where he played football and wrestled.[8]

Following high school, Ben attended UW-Stout where he began doing stand-up comedy at nineteen.[9] He transferred to UW-Milwaukee, eventually graduating with a degree in Political Science.[10]

In 2006 Kissel moved to Brooklyn, New York to continue his career in comedy.

Career

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During his time in New York, Kissel had many odd jobs with the most permanent one being that of a dogsitter.[9]

Kissel began doing a show with the late Kevin Barnett called KBBK Comedy Deathmatch which hosted some of the biggest names in comedy at the time.[11] With members of former New York sketch group Murderfist[12] and Marcus Parks, Kissel and Barnett created the podcast The Roundtable of Gentlemen.[13] Shortly after that show launched, Ben parlayed his knowledge of politics into another podcast, Abe Lincoln's Top Hat.[14]

In 2011, Kissel co-created horror-comedy podcast The Last Podcast on the Left with Marcus Parks. Henry Zebrowski joined the pair in the third episode. Kissel, during his tenure, served the role of "audience surrogate", asking questions as Parks narrated and Zebrowski provided commentary. Last Podcast On The Left was the first podcast to do a show at Red Rocks in Denver, Colorado.[15]

Ben was a regular on Fox News Red Eye,[16] briefly replaced Alan Colmes on Fox News Radio, and in 2023 hosted two shows on Sirius radio's Faction Talk.[17]

Ben Kissel is a Webby Award recipient[18] and collaborated on the New York Times best-selling true crime book The Last Book on the Left.[6]

In September of 2023, it was announced that Kissel would be temporarily absent from the Last Podcast on the Left amidst allegations which ranged from mistreatment to physical violence.[19][20] Although Kissel has denied these allegations, in October of the same year, the remaining co-hosts released a statement that Kissel would not be returning to the show as he entered into therapy programs focused on his mental and physical health.[21]

In 2024, Kissel announced that he is working on a new show called The Ben Kissel Channel.

Comedy specials

Ben recorded three comedy specials with Last Podcast on the Left.

Politics

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In 2014, Kissel successfully challenged a 1964 ordinance on cross-dressing in Haddon Township, New Jersey, resulting in its repeal.[22]

Ben Kissel identifies as an independent and in 2017, ran for Brooklyn Borough president against current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, receiving 1.8% of the vote.[23] Kissel's platform included advocating for criminal justice reform, transportation issues in Brooklyn regarding the L Train, and rent control.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ "The Roundtable of Gentlemen (Podcast Series 2015– ) - Episode list". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  2. ^ "Abe Lincoln's Top Hat". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  3. ^ "His True-Crime Podcast Stood Up for Victims. Now, He's Accused of Abuse of his girlfriend so he was told to leave cause no one wants a giant who beats on women". Rolling Stone. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  4. ^ "About". Ben Kissel Channel. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  5. ^ a b "Podcasting Star Ben Kissel Is Running For Brooklyn Borough President!". Reason.com. 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  6. ^ a b Kissel, Ben; Parks, Marcus; Zebrowski, Henry (2020). The Last Book On The Left: Stories of Murder and Mayhem from History's Most Notorious Serial Killers. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 293. ISBN 9781328566317.
  7. ^ It's Okay to Go - Ben Kissel, Former Evangelical Christian. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ "Feb 01, 2000, page 13 - Stevens Point Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  9. ^ a b I AM NY: Ben Kissel. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via www.youtube.com.
  10. ^ Maas, Tyler (June 27, 2017). "UW-Milwaukee Alum Ben Kissel Combines Killers and Comedy on Last Podcast On The Left". Milwaukee Record. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Shanley, Patrick (2019-01-22). "Kevin Barnett, Comedian & Co-Creator of 'Rel,' Dies". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  12. ^ Young, Amy. "Last Podcast on the Left's Henry Zebrowski Talks Mixing Crime and Comedy". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  13. ^ "The Roundtable of Gentlemen". The Last Podcast Network. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  14. ^ "Abe Lincoln's Top Hat". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  15. ^ Venues, Denver Arts &. "The Last Podcast On The Left | Denver Arts & Venues". www.artsandvenuesdenver.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  16. ^ "2020 Democrats take on the economy | Fox News Video". Fox News. 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  17. ^ SiriusXM (2023-01-26). "Open Lines Episodes: Listen Live or on the SXM App". SiriusXM. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  18. ^ Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel and Marcus Parks on the Red Carpet at the 21st Annual Webby Awards. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via www.youtube.com.
  19. ^ "Why is Ben Kissel no longer hosting 'Last Podcast on the Left'?". Deseret News. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  20. ^ Allen, Joseph (2023-09-14). "Ben Kissel Left 'LPLH' and is Focusing on His Mental and Physical Health". Distractify. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  21. ^ Allen, Joseph (2023-09-14). "Ben Kissel Left 'LPLH' and is Focusing on His Mental and Physical Health". Distractify. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  22. ^ "This 'Lawbreaker' Threw On A Dress And Got A Law Changed. See Just How He Did It". HuffPost. 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  23. ^ "Benjamin Kissel". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  24. ^ "'Tall man for the small man': Podcaster to show political documentary in Syracuse – Eagle News Online". 2024-04-01. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  25. ^ "Hail Yourself, America!". Hail Yourself, America!. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
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