– A completely different league – VG

In “Sånn er du” Nils Brenna and Harald Eia analyze celebrities and public figures with the “Big 5” personality test. On November 1 came the episode where they analyze the comedian and actor Herman Flesvig.

– Suddenly we were in a completely different league, says host Harald Eia to VG.

The podcast rose steeply to third place on Podtoppen in week 44, the list that ranks Norwegian podcasts according to downloads, right behind “Friminutt” and “Radioresepsjonen.”

The NRK podcast “Lørdagsrådet” is usually in third place, while “Sånn er du” since week 40, with the exception of week 44, has alternated between seventh and ninth place.

– We try to have some variation on what and who. Sometimes we have someone that we know many people are interested in, but sometimes we also have to choose someone from a more limited category. It’s a long-term strategy, says Eia.

Everything from politicians, to top executives, actors and comedians, has been analyzed in “Así eres”.

– Now I must say that it was very good with Herman Flesvig, but when it comes to radio I think very little about the commercial, continues Eia.

– Flesvig is bigger than us

In NRK’s ​​overview of podcasts and listener numbers, the episode with Jan Thomas has the most listeners on “Sånn er du”, while the Herman Flesvig episode is yet to come fully. His episode is currently at # 20, which is the spot behind the Siv Jensen episode, Nils Brenna tells VG.

But this is NRK’s ​​overview of “Sånn er du” listeners only, and Brenna points out that the other episodes have been out for a while longer than the Flesvig episode.

– We are big, but Flesvig is bigger than us, says Brenna.

Harald Eia says he finds it exciting and impressive with the vast majority of those who participate in the shows, but he also notes that Flesvig is somewhat surprised.

– I am glad to know that he is so thoughtful and that it is easy to talk about what he cries and gets angry, for example. It is one of the best things of our time, that there is space to say those things there, that it can be so cool and at the same time have the stingy side, he says and adds:

– I myself am the father of two children and that is perhaps the biggest problem, that it is difficult to talk about those things, so I think it is cute.

– Young people understand the rules of the game.

And he has seen this form of reflection in several of the young celebrities they have analyzed.

– What we notice with Jørgine “Funkygine” Vasstrand, Sophie Elise and Herman Flesvig, and we know with some of the new celebrities using social media as a springboard, is that they are a great reflection of who they are. The way they are public is very intense. Many of them have thought about things more carefully than I did in their twenties, he says.

To make the concept work, Eia says that guests who have taken the “big 5” test speak quite freely while filming, but can also tell if there is something they don’t want to include afterward.

– Young people understand the rules of the game, and then there is more they want to get out of the recording. I sense that you have experienced more than what can happen if you add something very personal. They have 200,000 little critics on their shoulders constantly thinking about what to say and what not to say, Eia says, before continuing:

– I’m not like that. My generation is a bit slower guys, but these people are more thoughtful.

Three up

It is NRK that stands out from Podtoppen. As usual, “Friminutt” with Herman Flesvig and Mikkel Niva at the helm, “Radioresepsjonen” in second place and “Lørdagsrådet” in third place.

NRK Podcast Director Vilde Hjort Batzer thinks it’s a lot about the hosts:

– We are very lucky to have some very talented presenters who really like doing radio and podcasts, and I think it is absolutely crucial for them to be so successful. They have fun and infect the listeners. There are also some of Norway’s funniest people behind microns, it doesn’t hurt either, says VG’s podcast manager.

– In “Saturday Council”, for example, you hear someone discuss your problems or those of others, and you can learn something new. The “radio reception” has many regular columns where new things happen every week, and in “Friminutt” you get grades and improvisation. We are concerned that the content should be more than just the presenters talking about themselves, he says.

She also believes that it is very much about the listeners feeling close to the presenters and that they somehow feel happy with them.

– We also know that podcast listeners appreciate being entertained and that they have a very close relationship with the hosts who follow on podcasts. In my opinion, listening to these three podcasts is never bored, and that they are on top week after week can be a sign that listeners agree with that, he says.

Herman Flesvig has been informed about this article, but declined to comment.