Why did Steven leave ‘My Favorite Murder?’

My Favorite Murder is a weekly comedic true-crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and, at one time, produced by Steven Ray Morris. In July 2023, however, Morris announced on Instagram he was leaving the show.

In the Instagram post announcing his departure, Morris expressed his gratitude for the time he spent working on the popular true-crime podcast, writing, “Working on @myfavoritemurder has been life-changing, and I feel grateful every day for everything we’ve built with the show … I’m forever indebted to our supportive and loyal listeners.”

The first MFM episode was released in January 2016, and the podcast debuted at No. 25 on the iTunes podcast charts. My Favorite Murder episodes, in fact, often land on iTunes’ Top 10 Comedy Podcast chart. So, why would Morris quit while he was ahead?

Steven’s departure from ‘My Favorite Murder,’ explained

While former My Favorite Murder producer Steven Ray Morris did not go into detail in his post announcing he was leaving the popular true crime podcast, he did write on social media he left to “prioritize my mental health.” Morris also gave a shoutout to the podcast network that hosts My Favorite Murder, @exactlyright network, and the fans, called “Murderinos.”

Morris seemed to be on good terms with everyone involved with the show, including cohosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, “I wish Karen and Georgia and the rest of the team the [blanking] best!” In response, the MFM crew wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “STEVEN!! MFM won’t be the same without you. We love you and you’ll always be a part of the ERM family.”

Fans of Morris and the podcast responded to his message with words of support, like the one from actress and TV personality @jodiesweetin, “I’m so [blanking] proud of you, my friend. Way to ROCK it at self-care. You are loved!!!❤️❤️”

Where are Steven and the “My Favorite Murder” team now?

Since leaving MFM, Steven Ray Morris has hosted See Jurassic Right, a Jurassic Park podcast. Morris not only produced the MFM podcast. He also wrote Molding A Jurassic Universe, an essay collection that explores the space where nostalgia and geeky culture collide through the lens of Jurassic Park and the Jurassic Park franchise.

In a Nov. 2023 X post, Morris also updated fans on his favorite dinosaur cards from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Magic the Gathering card set. As for Morris’ colleagues at MFM, the show is still produced and hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, according to the podcast’s website.