Will O’Hanlon is the Irish creator behind Scary | A Paranormal Podcast. A longtime lover of the paranormal and atmospheric storytelling, he created the show to share strange, unsettling, and unexplained experiences from real people. Scary has now surpassed 3 million downloads from listeners around the world and won Gold for Best Paranormal and Horror Podcast at the 2025 Signal Awards.
How many years have you worked in podcasting or audio?
3–5 years
How many years have you been a Signal Awards judge?
This is my first year!
What excited you about joining the Signal Awards Judging Academy?
Winning a Signal Award in 2025 meant a lot to me, especially as an independent creator, so being invited to join the Judging Academy felt really special. I’m excited to hear what other creators are making, discover work I might not have come across otherwise, and be part of recognising shows that genuinely stand out.
What is one recent podcast you’ve loved and would recommend?
The Telepathy Tapes. I found it completely fascinating, and it’s one of those shows that stays in your head.
What project are you most proud of and why?
I’m most proud of the listener-submitted stories I get to retell on Scary. People trust me with experiences that are often very personal, strange, or difficult to explain, and I really enjoy shaping them into atmospheric stories while staying true to what they’ve experienced.
What are you currently listening to? (podcasts, music, anything)
At the moment, The Telepathy Tapes, Real Life Ghost Stories, and probably more ’90s dance anthems than I should admit.