18. See You Next Season!

18. See You Next Season!

It's the end of Season 1 (wahh). Before we take a short summer break, we’re looking back on our first 6+ months as podcasters and sharing more about what HR has meant to us. We also get to hear some call-ins from fans about the impact the community has had on them. To everyone who has listened, supported, or shared your stories with us: thank you so much. We can't wait to be back for S2! :)

17. Nina King (@ninakingnarrative)

We are oh-so-lucky to have the incredible Nina King [https://www.youtube.com/@NinaKingNarrative] joining us this week! You may know her from her in-depth Heated Rivalry scene analyses on YouTube. We talked about all the important things like who fell first/harder, why Yuna's arc deserves more attention, and which tiny moment in Episode 6 tells us soooo much about Ilya.

16. Katie (rivals4areason)

We had the privilege of speaking with Katie [https://www.threads.com/@katieliestman], the founder of Rivals For A Reason [https://www.threads.com/@rivals4areason], this week. What started as a few Heated Rivalry-inspired bracelets has grown into a global fundraising project that has raised nearly $50,000 for charity. We talk about how the project came to be, the incredible volunteers behind R4AR, and how this fandom continues to show up in extraordinary ways. Thanks for listening!

15. Farrah (ohheyfarrah)

This week, we spoke with Farrah [https://www.threads.com/@ohheyfarrah], the creator of the "Release the Fleece" [https://www.change.org/p/make-the-heated-rivalry-fleece-official-team-canada-merch?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=7f6df620-e6b4-11f0-8549-b7b7eb999624] campaign. This fan-led petition became one of the catalysts behind fans being able to preorder the official Heated Rivalry Canadian fleece. We talked about the journey leading up to last week's preorder, the incredible community support behind the campaign, and why it was always about more than just a fleece.

14. Xio (xioaxelrod)

This week's episode features best-selling author Xio Axelrod [https://www.instagram.com/xioaxelrod/] aka "Philly's #1 Loon". We talk about how fandom is community, Heated Rivalry and SKAM parallels, and why Rachel Reid is basically living the dream. P.S. Xio is hosting LoonCon, a community event and fundraiser, on June 7th in Philly. Get your tickets here [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/xio-axelrod/looncon-summer-2026]!