The Joe Rogan Experience is Australia's most popular podcast trends now

The Joe Rogan Experience has finished the year as the most popular Spotify podcast both globally and in Australia.

The Spotify exclusive, which is hosted by comedian and MMA commentator Joe Rogan, beat out ABC News Briefing, Casefile True Crime, The Inspired Unemployed, and Call Her Daddy.

While Rogan's podcast has been incredibly popular for years, it was thrust into the mainstream spotlight during the pandemic due to the host's scepticism of Covid vaccines and lockdowns. 

He was also criticised for saying that obese people were at a greater risk of Covid and that young and healthy people may not need to get vaccinated.

'I'm not an anti-vax person,' he said in April last year. 'In fact, I said I believe they're safe and I encouraged many people to take them. My parents were vaccinated.

'I just said that, I don't think if you're a young healthy person that you need it.'

In January, he memorably sparred with ABC journalist Josh Szeps, who was a guest on the podcast, over vaccine-related myocarditis. 

During the tense exchange, Rogan argued that Covid vaccines increase the risk of the heart condition myocarditis in young men, but Szeps said the real risk of developing myocarditis is actually from contracting Covid-19.

At first, Rogan tried to say this was incorrect, but then his own producer stepped in to say Szeps was right.

The clip went viral on social media at the time, with many praising Szeps for challenging Rogan.

Rogan was later mocked by ABC journalist Leigh Sales, who claimed that the comedian 'doesn't do his research' and is 'sometimes stoned' during interviews.

However, in the months since the episode was recorded, more information has emerged about the risks of vaccine-related myocarditis.